The World We Live In
by WritingTheWorldAway
Summary: The Empire is a drug empire run by the Cullens that rival the Quileutes. What happens when the Empire's most precious jewel becomes Bella, and two men will stop at nothing to have her?
1. The Way They Met

**The Way They Met**

The morning was cold, and his throat hurt every time he swallowed. He fought the urge to close his eyes and turn over in his bed. He reached over and opened the small silver bottle on his nightstand. He placed the rim of the bottle to his lips and opened them wide enough to let one small white pill slip into his mouth. He crushed it between his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut against the sour taste in his mouth.

He shuffled to the bathroom, completely used to the silence that greeted him when he woke up. He was used to having women every other night, but he didn't let them sleep with him. He had rules regarding females: they never slept in his bed, they never touched his food, and under no circumstances, male or female, was anyone allowed to touch his hair. His world was black and white; there were no shades of grey with Emmett Cullen.

It had to be that way, because of how he lived. He lived a dangerous life, and there were plenty of people who would do anything to get the opportunity to kill him. He couldn't trust anyone, and he'd long come to terms with it. When he spoke, his words were law. If he made a promise, he kept it. The people around him learned to never question him. They feared him and respected him, but his subordinates didn't love him. There was no doubt in his mind that if his subordinates didn't fear his wrath; they would've long turned against him.

So he ran his drug empire with an iron fist, working only with his brothers, Edward and Jasper Cullen, but toward them, he didn't feel love, he felt loyalty. Love wasn't a luxury Emmett could allow himself, but when he was loyal, he was loyal, no matter what. Emmett Cullen was the man you wanted on your side, not the one you wanted angry with you.

The hot water on his back warmed him, but didn't seem to warm his heart. He dressed quickly, he was a businessman, but he hated wearing suits. When he wasn't going to the Meeting of the Minds, he dressed properly, but other than that, he dressed like every other thug in the street – with more class. He had a diamond stud in his ear and that was the only thing he did to his body, except for the small tattoo on the lower left side of his back. 'Empire'.

He pulled on a pair of shades, and slid into his back Lincoln. It had been custom made, and on the outside it looked like a regular black car, but in the inside – well, you just had to be on the inside. The engine caught quickly, and he sped out of his garage. His blackberry vibrated and he picked it up, keeping his eyes on the road. It was from Cullen.

**'Indians getting feisty. MOM'**

Emmet smiled at how comfortable Cullen was with calling him to a Meeting of the Minds. They didn't do that often. They knew not the mess with Emmett. He did his own thing and they did theirs. He pulled up to a low building, and surveyed his surroundings, being overly cautious as usual. The cold press of the metal gun against his waist comforted him. He walked out of the car carefully, trying to use the door of the car to protect himself as much as possible.

He rested his hand on the gun, not having any qualms about pumping someone full of lead. He walked into the building and looked around, his ears perking up for the slightest of sounds. "Mr. Cullen?" Emmett turned and looked down at the small girl in front of him. The top of her head reached his chest and she looked like he could lift her with a hand. He cleared his throat, "Yes."

She looked up, her brown eyes making him pause for a second. He appreciated a pretty girl and she was pretty. Very pretty. She wore her long chestnut colored hair in a bun and let side bangs fall in front of her face. She wore dark blue jeans and a pink top that matched her flats. She looked innocent, way too innocent for him. He tore his eyes away from her.

"Please follow me."

She looked down and began walking down a corridor. She knocked on a door, and someone from the other side gave her permission to enter. She walked into the room, keeping her eyes down. The room was filled with smoke from drugs and cigarettes, and Emmett could make out the figures of three men sitting around a small card table. Emmett tensed, aware that his commanding presence alone said the things he didn't need to say.

"So you came, Cullen." A figure stood and walked toward him, a smile on his face.

"Wouldn't miss it, Black."

Jacob crossed his arms and eyed the large man in front of him. "You came alone? Not smart for the leader of a rival gang."

Emmett's gaze was colder than ice. Jacob took a step back, unconsciously afraid of the heartless eyes boring into him.

"What do you want, Black?" Jacob made a motion with his head and the other two figures stood, lumbering toward him. "You high, Black?" Emmett almost laughed. This little kid was trying to scare him. "You're supposed to sell the goods, not smoke it."

Jacob laughed. "Don't be a smartass, Cullen. You're on my territory. So, we're going to make it simple. Just tell me where your brother Jasper keeps the stuff." Emmett's mind reeled. What was he talking about? "You're insane, Black," Emmett grunted, the grip on his gun tightening.

"Jacob, don't!" The small girl from before threw herself over Jacob's arm, trying to keep the gun he was pulling out in place. "The fuck this is, bitch?" Jacob exploded, his body vibrating with anger. The leader of the Native Americans was known to have a terrible temper. Jacob's hand shot out as he backhanded the girl across her face, sending her flying across the room. "You want to fucking tell me what to do?" Emmett clenched his jaw.

He usually didn't involve himself in other people's business, but he couldn't stand to see men hitting women. Jacob advanced on the small woman who cowered in the corner. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered out, tears filling her eyes as she tried to protect herself as much as possible.

There were two shots, and Emmett cocked his gun again. "Put your hands on her, and I'll put a bullet so far in your brain, the doctor's will wonder how the fuck I happened." Jacob froze, realizing that he was at the disadvantage. He cursed under his breath and turned around. "Ain't none of your business, Cullen. So stay out of it, you hear me?" Emmett's arm didn't move.

"Walk away, Black, before my finger slips and the only thing left of you is a few organs." Jacob scoffed and turned, spitting on the small girl before barging out of the small room, Emmett's gun trained on him the entire time. Emmett relaxed, wondering what had gotten into him. Why he wanted to protect this girl. She sat up in the corner, sniffling and eyeing him fearfully.

"What's your name?" he asked her finally, not meaning for his voice to sound as cold as it did. "B-Bella." He looked around the room, he couldn't leave her here. Well, he could, but he didn't want to – Black would come back and she'd be in serious trouble. Emmett rubbed his forehead. "Aight. Get up," he commanded. "And stop the crying." He turned and walked out of the room, not checking to see if the small girl was following him.


	2. Breaking the First Rule

**I might post more chapters today since it's Thanksgiving and I'm stuffed with food and have nothing else to do (:  
Reviews make me happy! (:**

**Breaking The First Rule **

She sat quietly in the passenger's seat, curled up tightly like a small child. She refused to look at him, keeping her eyes on the scenery rushing by them. "I – uh, I have a meeting to go to." He didn't know why he felt the need to tell her where he was going – he was Emmett Cullen, he didn't have to report to anyone. She didn't answer, and he didn't try to start conversation.

He pulled into his brother's eight car garage and walked around to the side to help Bella out, but she was already standing outside of the car, her gaze focused on the ground. He shook his head, he didn't know what was up with him. He never walked around to open the door for no lady, but he found himself wanting to do it for her.

He didn't say anything, but walked into the large house to the loud laughter of his brothers playing pool. Jasper noticed him first, and nodded in his direction, offering him a pool stick. Emmett shook his head and walked over to the television in Edward's basement. "Some meeting of the minds," he muttered, flicking the television on to a football game that was playing. "Who's the chick?" Edward asked, eying the petite girl who stood by the door. Jasper looked up, but his girlfriend, Alice, grunted. Jasper grinned, and winked at her. "Hey, she's pretty!" Alice didn't say anything and returned to her laptop.

"She your girlfriend, Emmett?" Jasper asked, genuinely interested. Emmett didn't say anything, flipping through the channels. "Well, it's good you got over Rosalie."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop a good 10 degrees. Emmett acted as if he didn't hear anything. "I didn't mean it like that, man," Jasper tried to rectify his mistake. "It's just that –" "Well, if she ain't your girl, I wouldn't mind getting a piece of that," Edward said, slamming several pool balls into the corner holes and moving around the table to get another shot, but not before winking at Bella.

Emmett's jaw tightened. "You ain't getting a piece of anything unless it's a piece of your ass cut," he said in a low voice. Edward just laughed. Emmett looked over at Bella, a slight smile making its way onto his face as she realized that she was getting angry. "Bella," he said, letting the word hang in the air for a few seconds. "Come here." She reacted immediately, never looking up from the floor as she went over to him and sat politely next to him. Her legs were held tightly together, and her hands rested in her lap, never looking up.

Emmett was suddenly angry. What the hell had Black done to this girl to make her this way? "Closer," he commanded, wanting her to relax. She moved closer, following his commands, but never saying anything to her. He pulled her into his side, savoring how well she felt pressed against him. She didn't say anything, but her body language said enough. She was stiff against him, refusing to play the part of his girlfriend, but for some reason, he was okay with that, as long as she was pressed against him the way she was.

His brothers finished their game and sat in the couches surrounding the television. Edward reached over and shut off the television, leaning back and resting his arms on the back of the couch. Jasper and Alice sat on the couch across from him, Alice curled tightly against Jasper, her hands tracing patterns onto the front of his shirt. Edward grunted and motioned toward the upstairs. Jasper sighed. "Baby, can you go upstairs? You can bring Emmett's girl …"

"Bella," Emmett filled in. Bella stiffened even more. Alice stood and smile, her long black hair falling in waves down to the middle of her back. She was pretty, but Emmett didn't really notice it. "Hey, I'm Alice," Alice introduced herself, smiling. She offered Bella her hand. "Let's go upstairs and let the men play." Bella took her offered hand and walked out of the room, Emmett's eyes following her all the while.

As soon as Bella was gone, Emmett turned his attention to the two men in the room. Edward rose an eyebrow.

"Getting soft, Cullen?" Emmett didn't laugh. "Still got more balls than you," he shot back. Edward put his hands out in a gesture of peace. "Relax. What's between you two anyway? She looks like you hired her to be here or something."

Emmett didn't want to talk about it, so he changed the subject. "What about you, Ed? When are you gonna get cuffed?" Jasper laughed and changed positions. "True talk," he conceded.

Edward rolled his eyes. "I've got an Empire to keep running, I don't need no bitch slowing me down. I got my right hand and my left hand and bitches lined up for the night. I'm content."

Emmett didn't push the subject any further. "I met up with Black. The Quileutes are getting out of hand." Edward turned his cold gaze on Emmett. "You did _what_?" Emmett scoffed. "I met up with Black. You aren't my father, Edward, and you ain't about to start telling me what to do." Edward forced himself to calm down. He was angry, but he wasn't going to tangle with Emmett. His brother did what he wanted, when he wanted and how ever the damn hell he wanted. "What did they want?" Edward finally asked. Emmett looked over at Jasper.

"They wanted to know where you keep the 'stuff'." Jasper swallowed and pulled out a black box from his pocket and tossed it onto he table in between them. "There was a Quileute-Empire throw down among the subs. I picked this up from one of our subs." Edward rose an eyebrow and picked up the box. He let out a low whistle. "Holy shit," he whispered. Emmett waited for Edward to show him what was on the inside. Edward turned the box so it was facing Emmett and Emmett couldn't keep the surprise off of his face. "Where the fuck did they get _this_?" Emmett asked, staring at the large pink diamond that sat in front of him, glittering as if there was light from inside.

Jasper shook his head and chuckled. "I don't know where they got this, man, but it's real." Emmett looked up at him. "And now, the Quileutes have a legit reason to come after us," he said, a dark menace glittering in his blue eyes. Edward looked up from inspecting the diamond and smiled. "Cool it, Emmett. Don't get involved, that's why we have subordinates." Emmett shrugged, he didn't really care how it got solved, as long as it did. He had no problem with doing the dirty work himself. Jasper's phone buzzed and he looked up, a dumb smile on his face. "Little lady's calling," he said sheepishly.

Edward shook his head. "I'm about to call up a little friend too," he finally said, waving his hand that Jasper was dismissed. Jasper typed quickly on his phone and seconds later, Alice appeared, Bella following behind. Alice made a beeline for Jasper, whispering things in his ear that made his eyes darken with lust. Emmett looked away, feeling like a pervert for watching the transaction between the two. Bella stood at the doorway, looking at something behind him. She looked like a lost puppy, but at least she wasn't staring at the ground anymore.

"Bella," Emmett said softly, his deep voice carrying over to her side of the room. She walked over to him without him having to tell her, and a mixed emotion of gratitude and anger burned in her stomach. He hated how she acted, as if she was a dog who had been trained to behave. He was going to fix that – and as soon as possible. Alice and Jasper walked by them, but not before Alice whispered a word of warning.  
"She's been through a lot. Watch it."

* * *

She was curled up in the passenger's seat, her eyes closed when he pulled up to his home. It was a low cement house built specifically for him. It gave him a weird sense of satisfaction to be able to open the door for her and lift her small body into his arms. He closed the door with his hip, and looked down into her troubled face. He wanted to smooth the wrinkles from between her forehead. She sighed and her face relaxed, her forehead becoming smooth again.

He headed straight to the bedroom and took off his shoes, pulling off her shoes as well. "Bella," he said softly. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away from him. Fear. She was the one person he didn't want afraid of him, and yet, she was. "I-I.. Can I take a bath?" she asked in a small voice. It frustrated him. "You don't have to ask," he grunted, moving away from her. She disappeared into the bathroom, and Emmett couldn't help himself. He shed his jeans and his shirt and padded into the bathroom after her, clad in his boxers alone. "Bella," he murmured. She was laying in his tub, her body encased in hot water. He walked over to the side of the tub. "Can I join you?"

"Don't act like you care about my opinion."

Emmett was taken aback, but didn't say anything. He slid into the hot water beside her. "What are you talking about?" he asked softly. He couldn't help himself as he reached out and massaged the back of her neck, loosening her bun. She closed her eyes and her lips parted in pleasure. "If you cared about my opinion, you wouldn't be touching me unless you asked first." Emmett scooted closer, dipping his head to kiss her creamy neck. "The way you're reacting to me says that you don't mind." She didn't answer and he grinned, shifting so he was kneeling in front of her. Even then, he still rose above her.

He kissed her jawline, letting his hands trace the shape of her breasts, following the curves to her sides. His fingers slid down to her waist, but he couldn't stop himself. Her back curved in response to his touch, shoving her nipples in his face. He kissed the dark peaks, unwilling to go any further than touching her. "Let's get you soaped up," he said, pulling in a heavy breath as he forced himself away from her. He picked up a bar of soap and rubbed it in his hands, creating foam. She closed her eyes as he ran his large, soapy hands across her body. "You've been with other girls before," she breathed out, stating it more as a fact than a question. "So why won't you just…" Emmett paused. He didn't know why he didn't just fuck her and kick her out. Why he was taking care of her and bathing her. He didn't know.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, rinsing her. He smiled as he realized that his touches were turning her on. He lifted her out of the water and gasped, eyeing the black and blue bruises on her stomach, hips and thighs. "What the fuck!" He cried, enraged. Her eyes snapped open, fear obvious in her eyes. "Who did this shit to you!" She clammed up, looking away. She grabbed a towel and stepped out of the tub. "I.. fell." Emmett stood and pulled the towel away from her, his boxers heavy with water.

"Bullshit, you fell!" he cried, surveying the damage. "It was Black, wasn't it?" He saw red and green and every shade in between. "Don't worry about it," Bella said, her eyes filling with tears as she struggled to get her towel back, but Emmett was stronger than she was. "The fuck I won't worry about it!" he cried, angry. She looked up, her brown eyes blazing with anger, frustration and sadness. "So fucking what, he beat me? You're all the same! It's a matter of time before you do it too, so don't act like you're any different!" Emmett pulled her into his chest, lacing his fingers around her arms, forcing her to look up at him. "Don't you ever think that I'm on the same level as Black. Don't make that mistake again." She didn't say anything, an kept her eyes trained on him when he released her. "I'm going to shower," Emmett finally said, breaking the silence between them.

When he got out of the shower, he found her sitting on the floor, wrapped in the towel, tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, flustered. "I don't have anything to wear," she said quietly, wiping her eyes. "I'm dependent on Jacob for everything." Emmett wanted to shake her, but he said nothing and went to his drawer, pulling out a shirt. He tossed it to her and she pulled it on, wearing nothing beneath. Emmett climbed into his bed, but Bella stayed on the floor. Finally, he sighed heavily, and got off the bed, walked around and lifted her off the floor, placing her on the bed next to his spot. Then he climbed back in. She lay stiff as a board, facing the wall away from him and he sighed and turned away as well, shutting off the light. _Damn it, Cullen, _Emmett thought to himself. _It's only been a day, and you're breaking your own rules already. _


	3. Taking A Chance

**One more Thanksgiving Entry! (:  
Leave a Review, dears.**

**Taking A Chance **

Emmett woke up to the biggest morning wood he'd ever had in his life, but surprisingly, he didn't feel cold. His throat didn't hurt, and he didn't feel like he had to take his pills. He opened his eyes and suddenly remembered Bella. He looked down at her small body pressed tightly against him and resisted the urge to groan. She began to stir, and he closed his eyes again, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

**Bella's Point of View**

Bella wiggled a little closer to Emmett's large frame for more warmth, then realized what she was doing and froze. Jacob didn't like it when she slept too close to him at night, but Emmett had said he was different, hadn't he? He didn't even fuck her last night, so that must mean something – right?

She looked up at his sleeping face, her eyes grazing over his chiseled features, his strong jaw line that she wanted to kiss. His body was all muscle, hard steel covered in velvet soft skin. And he smelled good. He smelled really good. Her body reacted well to him, she noticed. Just being close to him now sent tingles down her spine. From the size of his erection, it seemed that he wasn't completely immune to her either.

Before she could stop herself, she reached up and traced his jaw line with her fingertips, savoring the feel of his warm, soft skin under her fingers. She traced over his upper lip, then his plump bottom one. Her finger traced down his chin, then followed the curve of his neck to his pecs. She wanted to wiggle down further and explore his body more while he was asleep, but she was afraid to wake him. Se brought her hand back to his face, tracing the curve of his cheekbone, then of his eyebrow.

"Having fun?"

She yanked her hand back, surprised. She didn't answer. She knew how little it took for drug lords to lose their temper and to react in violence. She didn't want him to know she was interested in him either, because as soon as she did, she'd be his whore like she was Jacob's. He opened his eyes and looked down at her, his clear blue eyes twinkling with amusement. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry," she finally said.

His eyes clouded with confusion. "For what?" Bella sighed and tried to move away, but Emmett held her to him. "For touching you without permission," Bella recited. A flare of anger sparked in his eyes, but just as soon as it was there, it was gone. "You can touch me whenever you want," he said quietly, his gaze burning into hers. Bella looked away. "I don't believe you when you say you're different from Jacob. Drug lords are drug lords. I know you're going to get tired of me eventually, so can you please just take what you want from me and get it over with?"

She felt Emmett tense with anger beside her. "What the fuck are you –" Bella's phone rang, interrupting his rant. "I have to get that," she murmured, padding over to the place where she'd folded her jeans the night before. She picked up the phone without looking at the caller ID. She knew who it was. "Hello?"

"Where the fuck are you." Jacob wasn't yelling. He made the question a statement, and from his voice he was sober. And pissed off.

"I'm at someone's house."

"You'd better get your ass here right fucking now."  
Bella turned toward the bed where Emmett was sitting up, watching her. She smiled. "Of course," she answered cheerfully, more for Emmett's sake than Jacob's.

"Are you fucking with Cullen?"

Bella's heart almost stopped, but she forced a laugh.

"No, of course not!"

Jacob was silent. "I don't care how the fuck you do it, but you better get here. Now."

He hung up, the phone beeping to let her know that the call was disconnected. She was shocked to see that her hands were trembling. She began pulling on her clothes, avoiding Emmett's gaze. "I have to go," she explained. He stood and walked to her. "Who was that?" He asked, eying her suspiciously. "My mom," Bella quickly lied. "She wants me home for a family reunion."

Emmett watched her, unsure of whether to believe her or not. "If that was Black calling you…" Bella pulled her shirt on and tied her hair into a sloppy bun. "No, of course not. Thanks for…" she looked around. "Everything."

Then before he could comment, she walked out of the room. "I'll drive you!" Emmett cried, desperate for her not to leave him. She paused at the front door, and turned around. "Nah," she answered. "I'll just catch a bus." Then, just like that, Bella was gone.

The bus ride back to La Push, as the druggies called it because of the many pushers there, was long. She wanted to sleep, but the butterflies in her stomach forced her to stay awake. She was afraid of what Jacob would do to her. She bit her lip and suddenly regretted leaving Emmett's house. She could've just told him the truth, but it's not like he would've protected her. He didn't have any reason to. She sighed and drew her knees up into her chest, pushing her hair away from her face, only for it to fall forward again.

The neighborhood hadn't changed much over night. There were catcalls as she walked down the block, and several groups of people crouched around stoops taking 'breakfast crack'. She crossed her arms against her chest and turned onto a familiar street. She walked up the steps to the white and blue house, and rang the bell. No one answered for a while and there were no sounds coming from the inside of the house. She turned to begin walking away when someone's hand grabbed her arm hard. "The fuck you think you're going?"

Jacob asked harshly, throwing her into the house and slamming the door behind him. She didn't answer, and tried to fight the tears that were bubbling up. He was silent for a second as he stared at her. "Where were you?" he finally asked. Her words were soft when she spoke. "Jessica's house. She had a problem with Mike and –" "See, I thought of that," Jacob interrupted, advancing on her. "So I fucking called your bitch friend. And you weren't there. So tell me. Where. You. Were." Bella took an involuntary step back. "I-I was with…" She couldn't think of anyone.

Jacob punched her in the mouth and Bella tasted the gush of blood from her lip. "You were fucking with Cullen, weren't you!" He cried, shoving her hard against the wall. She could feel the bruises beginning to form. "You fucked him like a good little slut, did you? Sucked his dick?" Bella was crying, her eyes shut tightly against the monster of the person who used to love her. Jacob used to be her pillar, but now she was just a punching back. "I'm going to show you who you really belong to," he said through gritted teeth as his hands roughly pulled her jeans away from her body. "Please, Jacob," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Fuck that," he grunted as he shoved her to the floor, unzipping his pants. In the next moment, his dick was in her mouth and he was pumping in and out, ignoring her gags. "You did this for Cullen, didn't you, you nasty slut!" He yanked himself out of her mouth and slapped her, sending her sprawling to the floor. He kneeled down and pulled her panties away and rolled her jeans down. "Opened your legs for him, didn't you, you fucking ungrateful bitch!"

Bella tried to squeeze her knees shut, screaming for him to stop. She pleaded, tears running down her face, but he ignored her, forcing her legs open and plunging into her, again and again. He pulled out and came all over her face and hair, a sign of disrespect rather than one of love.

"Go try to fuck someone else now. You're mine, you hear me? Mine." Bella didn't say anything as he got up and walked away. She lay on the floor for what seemed like forever until her tears finally stopped falling. Then she got up and went into the bathroom, trying as best as she could to wash away what had just happened. Wash away his touch. She looked in the mirror at her swollen lip and put a hot cloth over it, salty tears slipping through her eyelids again.

_When had things changed?_ She kept asking herself. When had her sweet Jacob turn into this monster who didn't see her as anything more than a quick fuck and a punching bag?

The sound of shouting and glass breaking downstairs pulled her out of her reverie. A gunshot rang out and more shouting and cursing ensued. Then her name. "Bella, where are you, baby?" Bella couldn't move. Emmett had come for her. _Emmett had come for her. _Her brain couldn't seem to register this piece of information.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door. "Bella, are you in here?" Bella couldn't answer, her throat was dry. The doorknob turned. "I'm coming in, you hear me?" Bella stared at the door and nodded, struck dumb by the fact that _Emmett. Came. For. Her. _

He opened the door and they stared at each other for a moment, frozen in their own time. "Bella," he finally breathed. And suddenly, he was _there_. He was everywhere. His mass filled the tiny bathroom and blocked out everything as his arms wrapped around her and brought her close to his chest. He didn't say anything as he held her there, his chin resting on her head.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" he asked, breaking their silence. Bella squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that were threatening to form. "It wasn't important," she finally squeaked out. Emmett placed a finger under her chin and forced her head up so she was looking into his blue eyes. "I don't know how this happened over the course of twenty-four hours, but I'm infatuated with you. It's different from the other girls I've been with, and I protect my own. You will always be important."

Bella bit her lip. _Infatuated_. She had wanted to hear the word love, but she knew she couldn't be so silly as to hope that someone like Emmett would love someone like her. Especially after only a day.

"Well, I don't want someone to be _infatuated_ with me!" She cried angrily, her eyes defiant as she pulled away from him. "I want someone to fucking love me, goddamnit!" Tears that she'd tried to hard to hold back spilled from her eyes again, and Emmett pulled her into his chest once more, letting her cry on his shirt.

"When I say those words to you," he whispered. "I want to mean it more than I'd ever meant anything in this world." Bella looked up at him, seeking truth in his words. She wanted to trust him. She wanted to believe that he was different from Jacob. He leaned closer until her vision of him blurred and she was forced to close her eyes. He brushed his lips across hers, then as if remembering himself, pulled away. But, Bella held on to him, whether to steady herself, or to bring him closer, she didn't know. But Emmett complied, pressing his lips firmly against hers.

She sighed, savoring the feel of being kissed again. Thoroughly kissed, not just having someone else's lips smashed against hers. Emmett took advantage of her sigh and slipped his tongue into her mouth, warring with hers. Unconsciously, she pressed herself more firmly into him, feeling his erection grow. He pulled away, his blue eyes suddenly dark with lust. "I have to get you home," he said. Bella stood still. _Home. _He intended for her to move in with him.

She looked up at him. "I don't think I can –" "So what are you going to do?" Emmett interrupted, angry. "Stay here with Black? Don't play any stupid games, Bella." She looked away, realizing he was right. "Let's go," Emmett said, lifting her into his arms as if she were a child.

She didn't fight him, silently deciding that she would do this - she would take a chance.


	4. Breaking the Second Rule

**Thanks to all those who've added me to their favorite stories. Your support is what keeps me pushing these chapters out! (:**

**Reviews make me :D!**

_-__I completely forgot to say this in the first three chapters, but Stephanie Meyer is the owner of Twilight and the characters within, however, I am the sole creator of the plot and personalities within the story 'The World We Live In'._

**Breaking The Second Rule**

**Bella's POV**

Bella didn't want Emmett to let go of her, she was tempted to latch herself onto him for eternity, but for the sake of her dignity, she asked him to put her down.

He had stared at her, but complied, quickly taking her under his arm and leading her downstairs. This, she didn't fight. His strong arm around her shoulders was comforting. When they got to the landing, Bella stifled a gasp. There was broken glass everywhere from where the front window had been broken. There were some bullet holes in the door frame, and some blood on the far wall, but other than that, she didn't see anyone. "Where's…" Bella trailed off. She could feel Emmett stiffen.

"Why do you care?" His voice was indifferent, but Bella could tell that he was bothered.

"I don't."

Emmett led her out of the house and to his car, opening the door for her. She got inside and stared straight ahead. He was always trying to be chivalrous, and Bella couldn't help but wonder when he was going to drop the act.

He slid into the passenger's seat beside her, talking on his phone with someone. His part of the conversation mostly consisted of grunts and one-word answers. From what she could tell, the other person was frantic.

Bella's phone vibrated. She looked down. It was a new text. Her finger hovered over the delete button, but she couldn't bring herself to completely remove Jacob from her life. They had history. She pressed the 'View' button, and bit her lip hard.

**I'm going to come and get you. **

It was a threat, not a reassurance. She quickly deleted the text and ignored Emmett's glances. They were back at his home faster than she thought it would take. She glanced at him, then quickly slid out of the passenger's side of the car, not wanting him to open the door for her. He sighed when he realized that she had already exited the car, then turned and walked inside.

"Make yourself at home," Emmett said slowly. He turned and faced her, his blue eyes boring into hers. "Because, after all, this _is_ your home." Bella stared back at him and couldn't keep her retort from sliding through her lips.

"Unless I decide not to stay."

His eyes flashed with anger that he quickly controlled, and in moments, his great strides brought him to her side of the room. He stared down at her, and she stared straight back up at him, unwilling to back down. She had a spine, even if she had lost it for a while when she was with Jacob.

She didn't know how it happened, but suddenly she was pressed against the wall, his muscular body pinning her there. One hand was on her waist, and the other was pulling her hair gently, forcing her head back.

"Don't test me, Isabella Swan."

Bella tensed.

"How do you know my name?"

Emmett leaned closer, his blue eyes shining with an emotion she couldn't identify.

"You think I'd let just anyone walk into my house? And sleep on my bed? I did my research, Bella."

Bella could feel the anger beginning to form at the pit of her stomach. "So you investigated me."

Emmett rose an eyebrow.

"How could you expect me not to?"

"You invaded my privacy."

"I wouldn't call it that."

Bella suddenly had an urge to smack the all-knowing smile off his face, so she did. And she immediately regretted it. Her heart stopped for a moment as the full effect of what she had just done dawned on her. "I-I didn't mean –" Her words were cut of by the press of his lips against hers. He was tugging her hair, forcing her to tilt her head farther back so he could have more access.

Their tongues dueled, passion igniting with every stroke. Emmett's free hand roamed her body, lighting fires across her skin. Every brush of his fingers sent a warm rush of pleasure through her body and to her panties.

He slipped a hand under her shirt and cupped the weight of her breast in his palm, never stopping his attack on her mouth. She let out an involuntary moan as his fingers brushed against the hardened peak of her nipple.

She began grinding against him helplessly, her body deciding without her permission what to do. Emmett pulled away from her bruised mouth and dipped his head to her soft neck, making small bites, then licking over them to soothe the pain. Rushes of pleasure shot through her as she fought to regain control of herself, wondering where her anger had disappeared to.

"Still want to leave?"

His words pulled her out of her haze, dropping her firmly into reality. She placed her hands on his chest, and using as much force as she could muster, pushed him away, her breathing a bit labored.

Tears prickled the back of her eyes. He was using her body as a weapon, using her desires as a way to bind her to him. She was enraged, glaring at him as he stood there with a slight smile on his face and a dark look in his eye.

"You take me from Jacob so you can do the same thing to me?" She finally bit out, her voice no more than a whisper. Her anger ebbed away as she realized she was a prisoner. Emmett would keep her here, enslaved by her desire for him, and if she tried to run, he would find her. Misery settled over her like a storm cloud as she tried hard to keep from crying. "You're an asshole," she whispered.

The emotions on Emmett's face changed quickly from lust to confusion to anger.

"What _is _it with you?" Emmett finally exploded, his short temper finally getting the best of him. "Do I fucking look like Jacob Black?"

Tears Bella thought were gone sprang into her eyes. Emmett ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "And you're always crying! Are you pregnant or something?"

Bella didn't know how to explain it to him, and she didn't want to explain it to him either. He'd probably sympathize with Jacob. They were all the same. Her father, her foster care father, her cousin, Jacob, and now Emmett. She hadn't gone a day in her life without being abused in some way, and there was no way she could ever explain that to anyone, let alone a drug lord.

Bella let the tears fall silently from her eyes, resisting the urge to begin sobbing. She wanted someone to love her, and after she'd told Emmett that, he had taken advantage of her. She sank to the floor and drew her knees up to her chest, burying her head in her arms as she tried to keep sorrow from overwhelming her.

Emmett was silent for a long while as she exhausted herself, but even after the tears stopped flowing, she kept her head down. She was embarrassed at the way she was constantly breaking down around him, and she was sure she looked disgusting.

Unexpectedly, she felt strong arms lock themselves around her as Emmett lifted her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest, not wanting him to see her face.

She felt herself being laid on the bed, and she resisted the childish urge to burrow under the thick blanket and hide. She wiped her face, and hoped she didn't look too disgusting, then turned, facing away from him.

She heard his feet pad away silently, and she must've fallen asleep, because she didn't know what happened next, except for the fact that when she opened her eyes, it was late into the evening, and Emmett was laying beside her, his back against the headboard as he typed away on his blackberry.

"You up?" His deep voice sent butterflies to her stomach, but she nodded, unsure of what her voice would sound like. He cleared his throat. "Good, because we're going out in a bit."

She sighed, and turned away from him, unable to fall asleep again. "Why do you always do that?" Emmett finally asked.

Bella was silent for a moment.

"Do what?"

"Turn away from me. I may not be the best looking guy in the world but…"

"You _are_ the best looking guy in the world, it's my own appearance that I'm conscious of." Bella wanted to slap herself. Where had that come from?

His chuckles vibrated the bed. "Well, that was a change of attitude," he said quietly. "But, turn around. You're still pretty, even if you _were_ crying." Bella paused, but finally did as he requested, sitting up and staring at him. She was sure she looked like a mess.

"Is this what you wanted to see?" she asked, sarcastic. Emmett grinned. "Bella," he began. It seemed like he was searching for words to say. Bella didn't say anything, waiting for him to continue. "I- I'm not sure how to put this, because it sounds weird, but – I want to try and make it work with you. You've got baggage, and I've got my own too. I'm a difficult person to be with, but I'd really like it if you tried." His blue eyes were sincere, it was hard to refuse him.

"So, after a day," Bella began slowly. "You're asking me to be your girlfriend?" Emmett's lips turned into an almost smile. Bella noticed that about him. He never really smiled. His lips just did an awkward thing that looked like a smile, but wasn't really. He sighed. "It sounds strange, doesn't it? But, I trust you. I have this rule that I don't let women sleep in my bed, or in my house overnight, and you've slept in my bed twice. That's got to mean something, right?"

Bella stifled a laugh. "And look," Emmett continued. "I never let anyone touch my hair, but you can touch it!" He tilted his head toward her, waiting for her to run her fingers through his short cropped hair. Bella couldn't restrain herself. She burst out laughing, shaking the bed as she did so. Emmett looked offended.

"I'm sorry," Bella finally squeezed out. "It's just that, you're this hardened drug lord who has a reputation for being the most heartless bastard out there, and here you are telling me you trust me because I slept in your bed twice and you want me to touch your hair. Its pretty funny."

Emmett's face darkened, and he got off the bed, walking toward the bathroom. "I mean, you don't have to," he answered. Bella could see that her words had affected him, but she hadn't meant for it to be that way. She wanted to be his girlfriend as well, but she couldn't allow herself to believe that Emmett wanted her for anything other than sex.

She crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist awkwardly. She wasn't used to doing this.

Emmett froze and Bella rested her cheek on his back.  
Time seemed to stand still as she listened to his breathing.

He turned around, breaking her embrace with a familiar dark look in his eyes. Before she knew it, she was on the bed, and he towered over her, gazing at her as if she were a rare fruit that he couldn't wait to eat.

"I can't keep myself from kissing you," he murmured as he pressed his lips to her jaw, then each of her cheekbones. She let her eyes flutter closed as he pressed a kiss onto her mouth, forgetting about the bruise she had there. His hands tugged at her shirt, and before he tore himself away from her mouth, he murmured, "You have on way too many clothes."

Her shirt was gone in moments, followed by her jeans. He undressed equally as fast, and Bella was grateful for the skin on skin contact. His skin was cool and smooth, sliding over her like silk. His large hands were surprisingly nimble as he unclasped her bra, pressing kisses to her face and neck as he did so. Her lips parted in ecstasy as he drew one dark nipple in between his teeth, his hot tongue flicking and causing flames to rush through her body.

She'd had sex before, but foreplay was completely new to her. She was being driven out of her mind with want, the building heat in her body distracting her from the warning bells that went off in her mind. She'd only spent one day with Emmett, and he was already claiming her body as his own. But, his fingers on her other breast soon erased all coherent thought.

He rose to kiss her again, his tongue probing deep, and Bella couldn't stop herself from grinding her pelvis against his erection, desperate for some sort of relief. His hot mouth returned to her breasts as his right hand slipped her panty down. She gasped as he cupped her hot mound, unsure of what her reaction should be. He stroked her gently, and she grinded against his hand, but suddenly, he stopped, pulling his hand away from her.

"Bella," he whispered, wiping away warm tears from her face. "What's wrong?"

Damnit, she was crying again.

"I-I'm sorry," she said, her words barely audible. "I want this. It was good, but I can't stop thinking…" she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to look up into his face and see the anger that was undoubtedly there. "Bella," he said, his voice firm. "Look at me."

She opened her eyes and found his intense blue ones gazing down at her. "Tell me what's wrong." Bella was ashamed. "Jacob," she began, unsure of how to say it. "Jacob raped me this afternoon." As soon as she got the words out, the tears fell faster and the words came easier. "He forced himself into my mouth and I was choking, I thought I was going to die, but he didn't care, and then he plunged into me and it hurt and," she paused, trying to collect herself as sobs wracked her small body. "He called me vile things and he didn't even take the time to…" she couldn't continue, reliving the memories of that afternoon, and of her whole life.

Emmett cradled her to his chest, murmuring words in Latin.

Her sobs finally died down, and Emmett controlled his anger towards Black enough to face Bella again. "I'm going to fix it," he whispered, pressing his lips to her ear. "So don't think about it. Replace that memory with the one I'm going to give you." She didn't respond, but she couldn't help but realize that Emmett was indeed different from Jacob, in what seemed like more ways than one.

"Now, let's go get you cleaned up," Emmett said softly. "It's almost time to go."

* * *

_By the way, just in case anyone doesn't remember Emmett's self-prescribed rules, they are:_  
No woman is allowed to sleep in his bed or in his house overnight. Ever.  
No woman (or man) is allowed to touch (prepare) his food.  
No one, male or female, is allowed to touch his hair.

_Review !(:_


	5. What Happens in Vegas

**Believe it or not, I actually can't wait to get these chapters published! All because of your support. ^_^~  
Thanks, all!~**

_- __Disclaimer:__ Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I, however, own the plot and the personalities of the story 'The World We Live In'._

**What Happens in Vegas**

**Emmett's POV**

After they had showered, separately of course, Emmett realized that Bella didn't have any clothes to wear. He checked his watch, then smiled sheepishly at Bella, before donning expensive sneakers, black jeans, a white v-neck, and a dark green jacket that showed off his muscular arms. He pulled on a pair of shades, and smiled when he realized Bella was watching him.

"Like what you see?" he asked, grinning at the girl who sat wrapped in a towel. She scowled. "I'd like it better if I had clothes of my own to wear."

He pulled out a thick jacket from his closet and tossed it to her. "Don't bother wearing anything else," he advised. "Just put it on and follow me." Bella stared at him incredulously, but a moment of thought, followed his instruction.

The jacket was long and came down to her knees, and was warm enough that she wouldn't get sick. When Bella looked up, Emmett was already gone. She pulled on her pink flats and quickly followed him.

Emmett played music on the drive to the mall, his taste was different than Bella expected.

"You… like classical music?" she asked, curious as to whether he actually liked it, or was just listening to it because he was too lazy to change the station.

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Why," he asked. "Should I be listening to 50 cent or Eminem?"

Bella stifled a giggle. "Well, you are a drug lord after all."

After a moment of silence, while Emmett was looking for a parking spot, Bella spoke again. "If you don't mind me asking," she began, "How is it that you haven't gotten arrested yet?"

Emmett chuckled, pulling into a parking spot. "The world isn't as great as people believe it is," he answered mysteriously, exiting the car.

Bella smiled as he came over to her side, finding it amusing how he always tried to get the door for her, but she always beat him to it.

He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side. "Let's go," he said gruffly. Bella looked up at him as they walked into the mall. "What's with the sudden caveman act?" she asked, shocked at how freely she questioned him.

He looked down at her. "I hate shopping," he answered, his eyes twinkling. "You'll see why."

They walked into Bloomingdales and Forever 21, picking up several items for Bella. She blushed every time he snatched an item out of her hands, spending money on her as if there was no tomorrow. He forced her into Victoria's Secret, and had the workers wait on her, telling them that he had no limit to his budget. They were more than happy to load Bella with lingerie she was sure she'd never need. A few stores later, Emmett checked his watch, and touched the small of her back.

"Go find a fitting room and get dressed, we're going to be late."

Bella walked into a fitting room, all her goodies in hand, and reemerged, looking like a completely different person.

She wore dark blue skinny jeans, and black and white vans, as well as a white v-neck to match Emmett. Over the v-neck, she wore a pink hoodie and a black leather jacket. She wore her hair down, and walked out trying to get her side bangs to stay out of her face.

"Do I look okay?" she asked self-consciously.

Emmett stared at the girl before him. The small fragile Bella he'd first met had been replaced with this stylish girl who made him want to throw her over his shoulder and run into the nearest cave with her.

He cleared his throat.

"You look… great."

She smiled shyly and picked up her bags. "We should be going, shouldn't we?" Emmett nodded and took the bags from her, leading her to the car.

Bella looked nervous when they arrived at the club, constantly glancing at Emmett. Emmett released his car to valet parking with a strict warning that should anything be missing or damaged, the valet would have to pay everything back, or lose his life.

The young boy nodded, and Emmett tossed the keys to him, his eyes cold and unfeeling. "Bella."

Bella looked up at Emmett, sensing the sudden change in him. His eyes didn't hold any emotion, and for a moment, Bella was afraid of him. She took a deep breath and walked to his side, realizing that this was the kind of person Emmett was. Cold and without feeling. The Emmett she saw here was not her Emmett. _Her Emmett. _She was surprised at how easily the words came into her thoughts, without restriction. That's what she used to call Jacob. _Her Jacob._ She bit her lip and decided to put away all memories of him. At least for tonight.

Emmett looked up at the club before him. It was large and built with black granite. There was a sign above it that was illuminated from behind by lights that constantly changed colors. The word on the top of the club spelled out '_Vegas_'.

The interior of the building was almost black, only lit up by the strobe lights that shined different colors according to the beat of the fast songs that were being played. The bar was lit up by purple and blue lights that showed the outlines of the people sitting in front of it. The dance floor itself was packed with an ocean of bodies, each person squeezed tightly against the next like a box of sardines. The waiters themselves were fabulously dressed in black, white and purple, the women wearing skirts so short, Emmett wondered why their butts didn't hang out.

"Hey, there handsome," a coy waitress shouted over the pulsing music. "Would you like a drink?" Emmett looked around for Bella and found her a couple of people away, looking at him.

He motioned for her to come over, and when she was tucked underneath his arm, he turned his attention back to the waitress.

"I would like for you to take me to VIP room two." She eyed him, then bit her lip. "I can do that," she murmured seductively. "I can do anything you want."

She winked, and the double meaning was not lost on Emmett. Bella was tense underneath his arm, but he didn't give it a second thought. Where business was involved, emotions weren't, and that included any emotions he felt towards Bella.

He followed the waitress to the back of the club and up some black granite stairs. Vegas was a club that never ceased to amaze him with its incredible luxuries.

The waitress walked to a room with a silver number 2 on the outside of it. "Here you are," she said, curving her lips into a smile. She handed him a pink wristband, and tossed one at Bella. Emmett frowned but didn't say anything. "Thank you," he said, dismissing the waitress. She winked.

"Anytime," she answered, strutting away.

Emmett pushed the door open and shook his head. Edward was on the couch with two waitresses, one on either side, and a third one serving him. Jasper had brought Alice who sat curled up beside him, typing away on her laptop. Emmett took the nearest empty loveseat, and patted the spot beside him for Bella to sit down as well.

Edward grinned. "Still got her around, Emmett?" Emmett didn't react, his cold demeanor firmly in place. Edward winked at Bella.

"You're going to have a tough time with this guy."

Bella looked up at the hard planes of Emmett's face. He didn't look at her, but he felt her gaze caressing the angles of his face.

"What are we here for, Edward?" Emmett asked, not taking Edward's bait.

Jasper chuckled. "To see what you've been up to, little brother." He eyed Bella. "She looks better than the last time I saw her," he commented. Alice nudged him hard in the side and Jasper kissed her. "I'm just looking, babe," he murmured. "You know I come back to you at the end of the night." Edward sighed and motioned the two waitresses away, slapping the ass of the one on his left as she walked away.

"Ladies, out," Edward commanded, staring at Jasper in disgust once Alice and Bella were gone.

"You've gotten soft," he accused. Jasper shrugged his shoulders.

"Guilty," he answered, unrepentant. "When you find a girl who you know you're in love with, you'll understand."

Edward scowled.

Emmett took a beer, popped it open, and leaned back, watching the exchange between his brothers, his attentive eye making a note of everything going on in the room. As the two men fought about women, he wondered how he felt about Bella. Did he love her? Unlikely, he'd only known her for a day. But one thing he was sure of was that he was attracted to her in a way he'd never been attracted to anyone else.

"Emmett." Edward's commanding tone snapped Emmett out of his reverie.

Emmett stared at him, his blue eyes cold enough to freeze water.

"We're getting a new shipment," Edward continued. "Border of La Push and Forks," he finished, using the nicknames for the towns rather than their actual ones. "We shouldn't have too many problems, since the Quileute's are unaware of the transaction between us and the Jamaicans, but we still have to watch out."

Emmett rose an eyebrow, waiting for Edward to finish.

"...And?" he finally asked, when Edward didn't continue.

"And we need you to be there to supervise the subs and make sure nothing gets out of hand."

Emmett chuckled. "Okay."

Edward looked relieved. "If you want, Jasper can go with you, but I have to go to Italy for a while to meet with the Volturi about an alliance. The Jamaican transporting the goods is named Laurent, and he'll probably bring a couple of friends."

Emmett shrugged, uninterested in the details. He looked up at Jasper. "You want to come?" Jasper nodded eagerly. Emmett almost laughed.

"Is that all?" Emmett asked, taking the last sip from his beer can then crushing it between his hands.

Edward nodded. "Pretty much." Emmett looked at Jasper incredulously. "You guys called me here at this time just to tell me that." Edward grinned. "And to get you out of your house to have some fun!" Emmett eyed him.

"Okay," Emmett said slowly. "I'll go have some _fun_."

Emmett surveyed the crowd of people from where he stood on the balcony, searching for Bella. He texted her, telling her that he wanted to take her home. If there was one thing he _didn't_ want to do tonight was have _fun_.

He looked down at his blackberry to see if Bella had texted him back. She hadn't. He kept looking, anger and worry growing in him at the same time. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. Bella was 23 years old and he was 24. He shouldn't be so protective of her, he wasn't her father. But that didn't stop him from looking anyway.

Finally he spotted her walking out of the crowd, following Alice towards the bar. Had she been dancing with someone? Did someone have their hands all over her body while he hadn't been watching her? Anger boiled in the pit of his stomach, only growing worse as he watched the bartender flirt with Bella as she ate it up. Laughing and flipping her hair. Emmett almost shot himself.

He weaved through the crowd like an expert and ended up behind Bella, who was leaning on the counter, waiting for her drink. He slipped his hands around her small waist, and felt her tense with surprise. He rested his chin on her shoulder, glaring at the bartender who quickly scurried away, before turning and burying his face in her creamy neck. "Why didn't you answer my text?" he asked, his voice sending vibrations across her skin. She tilted her head to give him more access.

"I left my phone in the car," she murmured.

Alice grinned. "I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone before this becomes more than PG-13 rated," she said, before scurrying away in search of Jasper.

"What were you doing while I was gone?" Emmett purred, pulling her more firmly against him, gyrating slowly against her. She pressed against him and he couldn't help but smile at the way her body responded to his, even when he could tell she was trying to fight it.

"I danced," she answered.

Emmett froze. "With another guy?"

Bella stood still, Emmett's cold anger washing over her.

"N-No," she stuttered. "With Alice."

Emmett whirled her around to face him and rested his forehead against hers. "I'm a jealous man, Bella," he breathed.

Bella didn't say anything, and not being able to resist, Emmett tilted her chin towards his and kissed her, branding her with his hot tongue.

The annoying necessity to breathe forced them to break their kiss, and Emmett smiled at Bella, pleased to see that kissing her affect her as strongly as it affected him.

"Let's get out of here," Emmett murmured against her lips, and Bella grinned. "Let's stay a while longer," she coaxed. "You know what they say. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Emmett rose an eyebrow, but didn't question her, bringing his lips back to hers.


	6. Getting Caught

**Ah, the holidays. **

**I've been working on another story called 'All Fall Down'. You guys should check it out! I might not update this one as much as the other one, but I'll try my best to!**

_- __Disclaimer:__ Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I, however, own the plot and the personalities of the story __'The World We Live In'._

**

* * *

Getting Caught**

**Emmett's POV**

Kissing Bella was so damn distracting, Emmett almost didn't notice the drunk man who slammed into his shoulder. Almost. He whirled around, an icy glare in his eye, ready to set the fool straight.

"Emmett." Bella's soft voice brought him out of his anger, and he resisted the desire to chase the man who'd hit him. "It was an accident," Bella whispered, turning her face up to his.

Her lips were soft and slightly swollen from being thoroughly kissed. Emmett leaned down to kiss her again, when sounds of a fight from across the bar caught his attention.

He looked up and noticed the guy who'd slammed into his shoulder arguing loudly and drunkenly with Edward. Emmett hissed, watching the argument carefully. Edward was known to have a temper.

The man fighting with Edward had short dirty blonde hair that he pulled back into a ponytail. He had sharp features and electric blue eyes. He was lithe, but Emmett could see traces of muscle through the man's shirt.

"Wait for me here," Emmett murmured into Bella's ear, disappearing quickly into the crowd only to reappear by Edward's side across the bar.

"Man, you need to chill!" The blond haired man shouted, sending spittle in Edward's direction.

Emmett placed a hand on Edward's shoulder, willing him to remain calm. "Off, McCarty," Edward growled, using Emmett's original last name. Emmett pulled his hand back, hurt.

He had been adopted, but when Edward was mad, he lashed out, reminding Emmett that they were not blood brothers.

As soon as Emmett pulled his hand away, Edward lunged toward the man, his hands outstretched as if to choke him.

There was a dizzying blur of motion as the two men stumbled, each trying to get the better of the other. The rest of the club caught on that a fight was going on. They began crowding around the two men, and Emmett caught sight of blood. With a labored sigh, he dove in, tearing the two men apart. Edward glared at him, then at the man Emmett was holding back with the other hand.

"I'll kill you," Edward hissed at the blonde, his anger not fading away.

The blonde haired man glared back, but without another word, he disappeared into the crowd. Slowly, the cluster of people began to disperse and Emmett stood staring at his brother, shaking his head. "I'm going to head home," he said, nodding his head towards Bella, who was waiting patiently on the other side of the bar. "Don't get into any more trouble." Edward didn't answer, and Emmett turned and wove his way quickly back to Bella.

He couldn't help himself as he hooked his fingers through the loops of her jeans and dragged her closer to him, not being able to keep himself from pressing his lips to hers. Her smell was intoxicating – she was intoxicating. More addictive than any drug he'd ever dealt.

When he pulled away, her eyes were still slightly closed, and she had a soft smile on her face. "Let's go," he whispered, his voice dropping an octave.

The night air was cool, and Emmett took a deep breath, savoring the feel of the cool air hitting his overheated skin. He tucked Bella more securely into his side and motioned for the valet to bring him his car.

Emmett leaned down to kiss Bella's forehead, and she stiffened. He froze. "What's wrong?" he murmured, his lips brushing over her forehead.

"That policeman," she motioned toward a man in black with her eyes. "He's been watching you since you walked out."

Casually, Emmett lifted his head, and scanned the area, letting his eyes drift uncommitedly over the officer. "Ignore him," Emmett sighed, deciding that the man wasn't a threat.

Emmett's car pulled to a smooth stop in front of them, and the valet got out and bowed. As Emmett stepped forward to open the door for Bella, the officer leaped into action.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

Bella looked up, confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Ma'am, if you don't want to go with this man, you don't have to. We'll take him downtown and assure that you're protected."

Emmett glared at the man. "She wants to come," he grunted, his eyes darkening with anger. "I'm not kidnapping her." The police looked up at him in disgust. "I know what kind of person you are," he snarled. "Open the car. I have a warrant for a search." Emmett heard Bella's breath hitch. Emmett let out a booming laugh. "You think I have drugs?" he asked incredulously.

"Sir, I'm not engaging in conversation with you. Please open the car or you will be arrested for attempted kidnapping and resisting a police officer."

Emmett glared at him, but the man didn't back down. Finally, Emmett shrugged and opened the doors of the car, walking slowly towards the trunk before lifting it open.

The police eyed him warily, and then crawled into the car, sniffing around and searching little crevices for places where Emmett could have hidden drugs. He found none. He crawled back out and glared at Emmett before walking to the trunk.

"Clothes?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. Emmett chuckled darkly.

"I brought them," he said, his tone cold and unamused. "Would you like to see the receipts?"

The police officer sifted through the trunk, and not finding what he looked for, whirled around and faced Emmett. "Lean against the car, feet spread and arms up."

Emmett complied, moving smoothly to the car. "Officer," Emmett said casually. "Don't expect to have your job tomorrow morning." The officer scoffed as he moved his hands over Emmett's thick and hard body. "Like a piece of shit like you can take me out of _my_ job."

Emmett couldn't resist looking back at Bella. She looked scared. She was biting her lip. He wanted to hold her and assure her that nothing was wrong and kiss that lip she was biting.

"What's this?" the officer asked triumphantly, pulling Emmett's revolver out of his pant leg. Emmett stepped back from the car and dusted off his shirt. He didn't answer.  
"I'm taking you in for illegal possession of a weapon," the officer said, pulling out handcuffs. Emmett opened his mouth to argue, but the officer moved quickly, reciting Emmett's Miranda rights. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court," the officer emphasized. Emmett glared at him.

"Let me say bye to my girlfriend first." The officer looked over at Bella.

"Ma'am?"

Emmett saw red. How dare the officer ask his girlfriend if Emmett could say good-bye to her? What the hell was this? Bella managed a glare through her fear, and stalked over to Emmett, seductively swaying her hips unconsciously. She paused in front of him, suddenly shy. Emmett wished he could wrap his arms around her, but the handcuffs were an annoying problem. He took a step toward her, putting them almost chest to chest. He leaned down, and hoped Bella would turn her face up to him. He waited, and slowly, she looked up at him. "You're going to be okay?" she asked softly. Emmett almost grinned. He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and pulled away quickly, saddened by the loss of contact.

"I'll call you," he said quietly before he allowed the officer to drag him to the police car.

The ride to the police station gave Emmett ample time to think about Bella. He couldn't get her out of his mind. He squeeze his eyes shut and leaned back, trying to convince himself that what he felt towards her was nothing more than a physical attraction. One stronger than the ones he'd felt towards other women in his life.

He hadn't meant to become physically involved with her, but when Edward and Jasper began to assume that Emmett and Bella were a pair, he couldn't bring himself to tell the truth. The truth was that he was _weak_. Bella and Jacob was none of his business, yet he had gotten involved. Then she had to be so damn stubborn. Her stubbornness and shyness had gotten the best of him and he'd immediately wanted to own her. She was… different, to say the least. She didn't throw herself at him like many females did; yet she didn't run screaming to the nearest police. She was unlike Rosalie, that was for sure.

_Rosalie_. Emmett wanted to slap himself for thinking of her. She was the one woman he had actually thought he loved. Until she left. He squeezed his eyes shut against the memory of her blonde hair that always smelled like strawberries, and her sweet perfume that made him insatiable around her, and her soft curves and her –

"I hope you like jail food."

The officer's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he was actually thankful for it. Rosalie had hurt him, and he was being masochistic by allowing himself to dwell on the memory of her. The passenger door was wrenched open, and the officer tugged on his arm. "Get out," he growled. Emmett complied and stepped out of the small car, following the man into the station.

"Where's the chief?" the officer asked the receptionist – if that's what they called her. The young lady looked up. "Charlie's on his break, why?" The officer nodded towards Emmett. "I've caught one of the drug lords in the area."

The woman looked unfazed. "Well, you know the drill, Mike," she said, snapping her gum, bored, as she looked through papers. "Go get his statement."

The officer led Emmett to a small room and sneered at him. "Someone's going to come get a statement from you, then you'll be allowed one call," he recited. His eyes flashed. "Not that it'll make any difference." Emmett leaned back in the small chair and shrugged casually. "Remember," he said nonchalantly. "No job tomorrow morning." The officer glared at him once more, and then disappeared.

A few minutes passed before a small, blonde woman walked into the room. She looked like a Barbie doll. "My name is Officer Jessica Stanley," she said, sounding business-like. "You have the right to request a lawyer before speaking to me –"

"Let's just get it over with, shall we?" Emmett asked, his eyes twinkling. She looked at him.

"Well," she said, sitting down. "What happened tonight?" Emmett stared at her. "Aren't you going to take off my handcuffs?" She looked alarmed. "Officer Newton didn't do that already?" Emmett fought from rolling his eyes. "Well, if he did, would I be asking you to do it?" The woman blushed and moved quickly to his side, freeing him. Emmett massaged his wrist as Officer Stanley opened the door. "Mike Newton, come get your _damn_ handcuffs!" She screamed, flinging them outside before slamming the door and whirling around to face Emmett, a composed smile on her face.

"Now," she said, sitting down. "Can you tell me what happened tonight?"

Emmett leaned back, still massaging his wrists. "Sure," he answered. "Officer Newton walked up to me and my girlfriend, asked her if I was kidnapping her, then accused me of carrying drugs in my car. He searched my car, and found nothing, then searched me, and found a gun."

Officer Stanley rose an eyebrow. "Illegal possession of a weapon?"

Emmett scoffed. "Aren't you a smart one? But it's not illegal possession, since I have the proper license. But of course, since the officer was so sure that I was a drug lord, he handcuffed me and told me my Miranda rights before I could say anything."

Officer Stanley looked embarrassed. "Well, as long as you can produce the license, you'll be free to go."

Emmett shrugged. "I want to speak to the chief," he said firmly. She looked confused. "Why?" she asked. Emmett didn't answer. She sighed and walked out of the room. Moments later, a tall man with brown hair walked in.

"Chief Charlie Swan," he grunted, sitting down. "Call me Charlie." Emmett nodded. "I want Officer Newton fired," he said coolly, his eyes taking on their icy flatness. Charlie looked surprised, then amused. "Under what basis?"

"Arrest with no proof."

"Simply objecting to his actions is not sufficient grounds for suspension. He was using instinct."

"He arrested me due to a preconceived notion about me, which, if I am correct, it is illegal."

"There may be a law somewhere about that, but I believe Mike was doing his job."

Emmett leaned forward; his icy blue eyes boring into Charlie's hard brown ones.

"My lawyer, Carlisle Cullen, will contact the Attorney General, Kale Ryswick. I believe they golf together."

Emmett's casual name-dropping caught Charlie's attention.

"Who exactly are you?"

"I don't think that matters. If we're done with this useless line of questioning, I would like to use my one call now."

Charlie eyed him, looking intrigued, but nodded, motioning toward the phone that was on the desk. "Dial 9, then enter the area code," he answered before leaving the room to give Emmett privacy.

The phone rang twice before she picked up.

"Hello?" she sounded like she was scared.

"Bella," Emmett answered softly.

"Emmett," Bella sighed back. "Are you okay?"

"Where are you?" Emmett asked, ignoring her question.

"Edward's home. He said I should wait here until you called."

Emmett froze. "Did he touch you?" his tone was icier than he had wanted.

"No," Bella sounded shocked. And hurt.

Emmett sighed. He wanted to apologize, but it wasn't in his nature. "Ask Edward to drive you back to my place. Get my gun license, it's in the drawer of the night table."

"Okay," Bella answered softly.

"I'll see you soon."

"Bye, Emmett."

Emmett hung up and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Somehow, Bella being alone with Edward set him on edge, but he had to let himself trust her. Or he'd end up killing his brother.

Nearly an hour later, Bella rushed into the station, Edward strolling coolly behind her. Officer Jessica let Emmett out of the small room they had locked him in, and he couldn't help but walk straight to Bella and crush her into his chest. "Emmett," she whimpered. He released her, realizing that he was hurting her. "I didn't mean to," he whispered, leaning down and brushing his lips against her mouth. She bit her lip. He looked up at Edward and nodded in thanks. Edward rose an eyebrow, and nodded back. "I'm leaving," he said slowly before walking out of the station. "I have the license," Bella said shyly after Edward was gone.

Emmett handed it to Officer Jessica, who had been standing and waiting patiently behind him the entire time.

Chief Swan emerged from his office and froze. "Bella?" he asked incredulously. Bella looked up. "D-Dad?"

Emmett almost burst into laughter. He should've known.

* * *

**So, for Christmas, you guys should give me lots and lots of reviews! :D  
Lemons coming soon! **


	7. The Talk

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! This is the longest chapter yet. My Christmas gift for you all!**

**The angst starts soon, but this chapter is a gift to all of you who have waited patiently for it! (:  
Sorry for the errors, by the way. I don't have a beta for this story. ):  
**_- __Disclaimer:__ Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I, however, own the plot and the personalities of the story __'The World We Live In'._

**

* * *

**

**The Talk**

**Bella's POV**

Bella's blood ran cold, and she could feel herself stiffening under Emmett's grip. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Charlie's, and she couldn't help the memories that came crashing down on her shoulders, threatening to make her fall.

Charlie took a step forward and Bella flinched. She could feel Emmett looking down at her in confusion. She could almost see the questions running through his head about her relationship with Charlie, but she couldn't look away.

"Bella." Charlie's voice was soft, but it didn't deceive her at all. She took a deep breath and looked away. "Let's go, Emmett," she said quietly, unable to keep the pleading tone out of her voice. Emmett shifted, and Charlie looked pained. "Bella, don't! We," he paused and took a breath. "We have to talk about this." Emmett looked down at her, his blue eyes concerned. She bit her lip. She could run. It would be so easy to turn around and run like she had been running from Charlie all her life. And now, with Emmett to protect her, it would be easier. She could definitely run. Or she could stay and listen to what he had to say.

Bella took a wobbly breath and tried to compose herself. "Alright, Charlie," she said, her voice sounding shakier than she wanted. "Let's talk." He didn't say anything for a minute, then nodded toward his office. "Let's go in," he said softly. She nodded, and followed him, Emmett close behind.

Charlie opened his door, and turned around, facing his daughter and her boyfriend. "Uh," he said, hesitantly. "Just you, Bella." Bella bit her lip again. Emmett took a menacing step forward. "She goes, I go," he growled. It would be so easy to refuse, to choose to keep Emmett close to her, her own personal bodyguard. But she had to be strong.

"No," Bella almost whispered, pushing his chest gently. "I need to talk to my – my father." Emmett looked down at her, trying to decipher her emotions. Finally, he stepped back. "Okay," he answered, his tone gentle.

Bella nodded in thanks, then stepped into Charlie's office, waiting for him to close the door and follow her in. She was suddenly afraid. Years of abuse had taught her to not allow herself to be alone with Charlie, and Emmett had no reason to be suspicious of him, so he wouldn't be likely to rush in and save her if she started crying. She sat down in the chair in front of his desk, trying to control her trembling hands.

Charlie stood facing the window, as if trying to gather his thoughts before speaking. He whirled around and faced Bella suddenly, and she almost jumped out of her chair and ran out of the room.

"Your boyfriend?" He asked, nodding towards the reception area, where Emmett was seated.

Bella took a mental breath. He wanted small talk. She could do small talk.

"Kind of."

Charlie looked perplexed by her answer, but nodded in response.

"Be careful," he said slowly.

"As if you're the one to tell me that." Bella's words sliced through the air before she had a chance to think about them, and she almost clamped her hands to her mouth. Charlie looked surprised, then repentant.

"Bells." Bella winced at the nickname. Charlie noticed. "Sorry, Bella, I- I mean, I'm – I guess," he ran his hands through his hair that was the exact same shade of brown as Bella's. He was looking for the words to say, so Bella waited.

"I'm sorry."

The apology came unexpectedly. Charlie never apologized. Bella didn't know how to react. "It's not okay, Charlie. _I_'_m_ not okay."

"I know that. And I know what I did was wrong, but with Renee and you, and… I didn't know what to do."

Bella was silent. "You always do this, Charlie. You always blame someone, or something else for your mistakes."

Charlie's eyes hardened. "It's not easy raising a child alone, you know."

"It's not easy losing your mother, then being beaten by your drunk dad almost every other night, you know." Bella's voice was louder than she meant it to be, and her breathing was a little labored. Charlie was shocked into silence.

"I never knew when you would come home and be happy, or come home and beat me, Charlie," she whispered around the lump in her throat.

"It's not my fault, kiddo," Charlie sputtered, at a loss for words.

"Then whose fault is it?" Bella asked softly, trying to hold back tears. "Mine?"

"Bella, would you give me a chance to explain?"

Bella stood, her hands trembling violently, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Explain what, Charlie?" she asked shakily as she fought to keep from screaming. "Explain why you beat me for no reason? Explain why you went out to a bar every night and got so drunk you couldn't even remember your name? Explain why, instead of comforting me about the loss of my mother, you _blamed me_?"

Charlie was frozen, not used to his daughter standing up to him.

"Okay," Bella said softly after a moment of silence. "Explain it to me. Because I really don't understand."

Charlie's eyes suddenly darkened with anger, and unconsciously, Bella moved toward the door. "You always make it about you," he hissed, taking a step toward her. "It's always been about you. I was hurting too! I lost Renee! I needed to find a way to get over it. Why can't you understand that? Why don't you stop being so selfish and think about it from my point of view?" His tone was thick with anger and emotion, but his eyes were flat.

"You're selfish. I cleaned up and tried to get back on track for you. I got this job for you, and you can't even forgive me? I wasn't sane, for crying out loud! I had lost my wife! I _loved_ her!"

Bella's back was pressed against the door, as she had taken a step back for every step he took forward. She recognized the dark look she had in his eye, and her eyes darted back and forth, looking for an escape. "She was my _mother_," she whispered. "I loved her too!"

They stood staring eye to eye for a moment, neither of them saying anything. Then Charlie lunged toward her, and she sidestepped him quickly, slamming her shoulder into a bookcase, causing a glass vase to fall and shatter.

"Selfish bitch!" Charlie hissed, standing up. "I loved you too. Why can't you see that?" Bella shook her head, trembling in fear.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't have done that to me. You wouldn't be doing this now. You wouldn't call me a _bitch_!" Charlie froze, and his eyes flooded with emotion as if suddenly realizing what he was doing.

"Oh, Bella, Bella," he murmured softly, his forehead wrinkling as tears formed into his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, taking a step forward, his eyes filled with pain and regret. Bella didn't trust him. "Charlie, are you sick?" she asked seriously. Realization dawned on her. Everything made sense now. Charlie was_sick_. The only times he wouldn't beat her were the times he took the little white pills his doctor had prescribed. But a hormonal imbalance? Was that really likely? Was it possible that she could've saved herself years of pain if she had just made sure that he took his medicine every morning?

"Do you have a hormone imbalance, Charlie?" She knew he wasn't likely to answer her question.

He looked confused. She took the moment to sidestep him and run toward the door, wrenching it open and sprinting out, not stopping until she was outside of the station.

Emmett jumped to his feet and followed her, but not before taking a glance at Charlie's confused face.

* * *

Bella was leaning on the car, trying to get her breathing under control when Emmett came outside. She looked up and forced a shaky smile, then got into the car. Without a comment, Emmett slid into the driver's side, and started the car. He looked at her strangely a couple of times as they headed home, but thankfully, he didn't question her.

She got out of the car, keeping him from opening the door for her, and waited for him to come around and unlock the house door. She was beginning to think of this place as home now, and that definitely wasn't good. "The clothes!" she cried, suddenly remembering the clothes in the trunk. He chuckled, and before she had the chance to turn around, he disappeared into the garage again, and came back with the bags.

She flushed. "Thanks," she murmured, taking them from him and bringing them up to their bedroom. _Their bedroom_? Bella bit her lip. This was becoming dangerous for her. "You can put them in here," Emmett said softly, opening an empty closet for her to hang her items.

When she was done, she grabbed a towel and bit her lip. "I'm going to, uh, go shower," she said quietly, suddenly feeling awkward. He nodded and turned back to paperwork on his lap.

The shower was uneventful. She kept expecting Emmett to come in, make her hot and bothered, then leave without finishing what he started as he had been doing. She was beginning to _want_ him, especially after coming so close. It had just been too soon. Way too soon.

But this was her life. Living with Jacob had taught her that what a drug lord wanted, he would eventually get. So, technically, she didn't really have a choice with Emmett. But that didn't explain why she felt so drawn to him. Drawn to a man shrouded in secrets and danger, who could undoubtedly be worse than Jacob ever was without trying.

The sudden burst of cold water pulled her out of her reverie. She smiled as she turned the water off and toweled herself down. _Even drug lords run out of hot water._ The thought was funny, and as she pulled on a white sleeping shirt and a pink pair of shorts, the smile stayed on her face. She walked out of the bathroom, tying her wet hair into a sloppy bun, when she realized Emmett was staring at her.

Blood rushed to her cheeks and she suddenly felt embarrassed. "What?" she asked, pulling her shorts down a little further. He cocked his head and rose an eyebrow. "I'm glad you're smiling again," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"I smiled all day today," she said, avoiding his eyes. "Not after you met with your father," he answered. He was so damn observant, especially compared to Jacob who wouldn't have noticed if she didn't speak for a month straight.

She let out a deflating sigh, but didn't answer. "Come here," Emmett said softly, patting the bed beside him. Because she had been trained to, she walked slowly to the bed, averting her eyes the entire time. She had been with him all day, and she had grown fond of him, but she was suddenly apprehensive about sleeping next to him again.

Emmett cursed under his breath as she drew near to the bed. She looked up, afraid, wondering what she had done wrong. Emmett shook his head and the flames in his eyes disappeared, replaced by icy nothingness. "What did Jacob do to you to make you so obedient, even when it's obvious that you don't want to do something?"

She didn't answer, and climbed into the bed, facing the far wall. Tonight had been exhausting. Meeting Charlie had brought back memories she would rather have left forgotten, and Emmett – well, Emmett confused her. She didn't want to face Emmett partly because she didn't want to break into tears, and partly because it was habit. She had never voluntarily gotten into bed with him, much less cuddled against him.

"Bella," Emmett sighed after a moment of silence. "What happened between you and Charlie today?" Bella squeezed her eyelids shut and tried to pretend that she was sleeping.

It was silent for a a while. "You're breathing too shallowly and too fast for you to be asleep, and your body has been in the same position for too long. I _know_ you're awake."

Bella couldn't keep the smile off her face. He was definitely too observant. "Alright," he sighed, moving, causing the bed to bounce a little. "If you want to play like that..." he said, his tone sounding long suffering.

All of a sudden, Emmett's hands were on her, tickling her. She couldn't keep the roar of laughter from spilling out of her as she writhed and wriggled to move away from him. Tears spilled out of the corner of her eyes, and the laughter was making it hard to breathe, but underneath the laughter, his light touches were sending fire across her skin. His laughter and scent and _closeness_ were sending tremors across her body and into her panties. She could feel her nipples hardening as his fingers danced across her stomach. Her ovary clenched when his hands moved to her thighs and suddenly, it was too much. The laughter and the sexual tension forced her off the bed and away from him, breathing heavily.

He looked at her through his eyelashes, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. She raised her hands, palms outward. "Alright," she cried in defeat. "You win!" His hot gaze traveled down her body, lingering on her hardened nipples that showed through her shirt. She crossed her arms across her chest, her cheeks burning. The motion made her shirt hitch up, showing a section of her tan, flat belly.

"Bella," Emmett groaned, flipping over so he was facing away from her. She couldn't keep the look of curiosity off her face. "What?" She asked, stepping closer to the bed, her previous shyness forgotten. He turned back to face her, his eyes suddenly blazing with an emotion Bella couldn't decipher. "Come here," he said, sitting up.

She was entranced, and she willingly climbed back into the bed with him. As soon as she was close enough, he buried one hand in her hair, pulling it gently as his lips molded hers. He pulled her hair more, forcing her to tilt her head back so he could have more access. She sighed, and Emmett took advantage of it, slipping his hot tongue into her mouth. Their tongues dueled, igniting sparks with every stroke.

Reflexively, Bella melted into him, and his other hand trailed up and down her side, causing goose bumps to rise on her skin. The need for air forced them apart, but Emmett didn't let her move too far away. "I need to be closer to you," he said softly, so softly that Bella wasn't sure that she heard him. She kept her eyes closed, savoring the feel of him being this close to her.

Suddenly, she was lying on her back, and Emmett was hovering over her, trying to keep his weight off of her. His lips pressed into hers again, and this time, she opened her mouth immediately. He moved so he wasn't resting completely on her, but enough so that one of his hands was free to dart up and fondle her breast through her shirt. His erection nudged her, and she began twisting her hips under him, seeking some sort of friction.

Her shorts were thin, so when she felt the clothed head of his erection press against her core, she almost fragmented. She pressed harder against him, wishing that the clothes separating them would disappear. He ducked his head to her neck, sucking and biting, then licking and kissing the pain away. She tunneled her fingers into his hair, desperate for something to hold on to before she was swept away in a sea of heat. She grinded helplessly against him, and his hands didn't stop moving across her body. She felt like she was on fire. "Emmett," she almost begged, her body desperate for relief.

His movements slowed, until they came to a complete stop. He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead and moved away from her. She almost screamed with frustration. "We need to talk first, Bella," he said, his voice breathy. "What happened with you and Charlie back there?"

Bella was stunned. She couldn't believe this. He had just brought her to a place where she was melting like putty in his hands, only to stop and ask to _talk_?

"Since when do drug lords care about their whore's personal lives?" She asked bitterly, the words slipping out before she could rein them in.

His eyes darkened. Bella cursed under her breath. "I thought we went over this already," he said coolly, dangerously. "I-I'm sorry," Bella stuttered. "It's the sexual frustration!" she cried. She clamped a hand over her mouth.

The coldness in his eyes disappeared as he roared with laughter. "I'm glad you weren't serious about that, then," he murmured when he was able to control himself. He pulled her closer to him so she could feel his raging erection. "I too would like to take care of this, but Bella, I know nothing about you."

She was silent. What could she tell him about her? That her father could possibly have a hormone imbalance that sent him on violent mood swings? That the majority of her life was spent in fear of the males that surrounded her? That she acted the way she did because she was_ trained_, like a dog, to behave and give anything any man in her life asked of her?

"Bella?" He seemed like he really cared.

Bella sighed and faced him, pressing her body against his. She nudged him so that he was lying on his back. He complied, a confused look on his face. "Bella, what are you –"

She silenced him with a heated press of her lips against his. She brushed her tongue against the seam of his lips, and he complied, opening for her, his tongue battling with hers for dominance. She grinded herself into his erection, burying her small hands in his hair. His hands rested on her hips, as if he was unsure if he should push her away or pull her closer.

She pulled away, her eyes dark and her cheeks flushed. "Bella, we should –" He was silenced as she tore her shirt off and flung it away from the bed, reaching down to grasp the hem of his shirt. He helped her, and in moments, the only thing he was wearing was the silver dog tag around his neck. She was equally as bare, glad for the skin on skin contact.

She was on her back now, Emmett's need for dominance had placed her there. Truth be told, there was nowhere she would rather be. She _wanted_ to be here, pressed firmly between Emmett's hard, hot body and the soft mattress, with his hot mouth on hers and their naked bodies writhing against each other.

He pulled away from her and looked down at her neck. "I think I left a hickey," he said softly, staring at the darkening mark on her neck. Somehow, that made her wetter. She hadn't been with someone who left a love bite on her that hadn't been made with malice.

Before she could say anything, his hot mouth was on her breast, his hot tongue flicking her hardened peak. He bit down softly, and Bella couldn't keep the moan from escaping her as she arched her back in pleasure. His hand played with her other nipple, while the other hand danced down to the dark curls between her legs.

She grinded into his hands, her grip on his hair tightening. "Emmett," she gasped, and he looked up at her, a soft smile on his face. An actual smile, not one of those awkward ones that he usually gave.

He returned his attentions to her breasts while his left hand played dangerous games with her slit. Suddenly, he bit down on her nipple while simultaneously sliding a finger into her, eliciting a scream of pleasure from Bella as she writhed underneath him, searching for relief from the ever-tightening coil of passion in her womb.

"Emmett!" She screamed again, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Soon, Bella," he answered, sending warm air over her wet nipple. His finger didn't stop moving inside of her, and suddenly, another finger joined it as Emmett returned to her mouth, his hot tongue demanding entrance.

His fingers moved at a leisurely pace, sliding in and out of her slowly despite her attempts to make them move faster. He was bringing her higher and higher and she was afraid that if he didn't let her come down, she would explode into a million little pieces and that would be the end of that.

His thumb brushed against her clit, rewarding him with a fresh rush of warm liquid. He smiled against her mouth and withdrew his fingers, drawing a small whimper of displeasure from her.

He pulled away, and she almost screamed, thinking it was one of his games. He rose above her, and her breath hitched when she caught sight of him. He was _big_, like every other part of him. Big was actually an understatement. He was _huge_. She suddenly panicked, wondering how she could take all of him in. "Relax, _mellita_."

Bella had taken enough Latin in high school to know that he was using a term of endearment for her. "Relax," he whispered again, leaning close as his head nudged her entrance. Her hips bucked at the contact, desperate for him. He chuckled softly, his breath tickling her ear as he moved slowly but surely into her, watching her for her reaction.

She could've sworn that her eyes rolled back into her head. The pain was extraordinary as he pushed back her tight folds, planting himself deeper into her, stretching her in a way she didn't think possible. Yet, there was pleasure. Intense, incredible, extraordinary, raw, _pleasure_. The line between pleasure and pain were blurred for Bella to a point where she didn't know where the pleasure started and the pain ended.

"How… is it… possible… that…you're so…tight?" He bit out, his voice barely above a hiss. He stayed still inside of her, taking in shallow breaths as he waited for her to get used to him. Slowly, the pain faded away, and was replaced by an ebbing sense of pleasure and a frantic need for release. She tried to move, but Emmett stayed still. "_Move_!" she hissed, the coil in her womb growing tighter.

He grinned and slowly pulled out, and Bella almost orgasmed on the spot. He pushed in again, then pulled out further, slamming into her. Their pace increased, and fireworks exploded behind Bella's shut eyes as she orgasmed again and again. She clawed his back, but he kept going. Bella wrapped her slender legs around him, bringing him closer as he pumped into her, the sound of heavy breaths, moans, and skin slapping skin filling the room.

His movements became erratic, and in a hoarse whisper, he cried her name. She exploded, milking his orgasm out of him. Bella didn't even know she was screaming. He had just brought her to the longest, hardest, and best orgasm of her 23 yearlong life.

"I'm on the pill," Bella whispered softly into his ear as he lay on her, breathing heavily. "I'm glad," he whispered back. And suddenly she started giggling. "I'm sorry, that was random," she said quietly. Emmett smiled and shifted his weight off of her. "Wait," she whispered, tightening her grasp on him. He pulled out of her, but heeded her request. His weight was comfortable. It made her feel safe. She held him there as long as physically possible until her breaths became more labored. He shifted off of her.

She cuddled into his side, feeling relaxed, sated and… _safe_. "Thank you," she murmured. "For what?" he asked, his arm around her, and his eyes closed. Bella looked up. He had a soft smile on his mouth. "I should be thanking you," he said softly. Bella smiled as she played with his silver dog tag, liking the image of his tanned, naked chest and the dog tag. She pulled the sheet up to cover them when it got cold.

She sighed happily again, and began closing her eyes when she felt Emmett shift against her. "Bella?" his tone was soft, but firm. She opened her eyes to meet with intense blue ones. "Yeah?"

"We still need to talk."

Dread dropped on her like a brick of lead.

**

* * *

So how do you think I did with Charlie and Bella's talk?  
Also, what was your favorite line?**

**Merry Christmas, all! From, New York!  
**_Review! (: _


	8. Getting Comfortable

**I only got four reviews for the last chapter, so thanks to those reviewers! But I know you're still reading since a lot of you have added me to your favorite/alerts. As long as you're reading, I'll keep writing! Enjoy!**

_- __Disclaimer:__ Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I, however, own the plot and the personalities of the story 'The World We Live In'._

**

* * *

**

**Getting Comfortable**

**Bella's POV**

"Why?"

Emmett looked annoyed. "Why what?" he asked. "Why do we have to talk? Because something is bothering you, and I need to know what it is!"

Bella resisted the urge to pry herself away from him and run away. But he would undoubtedly catch her, should he decide to chase her.

"Why do you have to know?" she asked softly. "Why does this matter so much to you?"

Emmett was silent for a while, his fingers tracing patterns absentmindedly into her back, causing chills of pleasure to run down Bella's spine.

"I don't know," he finally sighed. "I don't understand any of this. Why I'm so attracted to you, and why I care about you in a way I've never cared about anyone before. You feel familiar to me. Like I've met you before. It freaks me out too, but if I've learned anything from the way I live, is that I should just take the good things as they come."

Bella was stunned. "The good things?" she asked slowly.

Emmett drew away so he could look into her eyes fiercely. "You don't think you're a bad thing in my life, do you?"

Bella was silent.

Emmett sighed and drew her back into his side. "So tell me what's bothering you."

Bella was quiet for a moment, and Emmett didn't say anything either. The silence between them was filled with unsaid words, but she could feel that Emmett was waiting for her to speak. He knew she would tell him eventually.

"I-I think my dad has a hormone imbalance," she said carefully, selecting her words with care to make sure she didn't let out any more than she needed to.

"Hormone imbalance?" Emmett asked softly.

Bella nodded.

"Why do you think that?"

The question was a death trap.

"I don't know."

She felt Emmett stiffen beside her.

He suddenly pulled away and faced her, his eyes hard.

"Bella," he began, forcing gentleness into his words. "If we're going to be together, and you're going to live in my house, we have to trust each other. I have to trust that you're not going to kill me in my sleep, and you have to trust that I'm not going to intentionally hurt you."

Bella stared at him, suddenly realizing how hard it actually was for him to let someone into his home, let alone his heart. But she wasn't stupid enough to believe that he had let her into his heart. He was still carefully guarded around her and she knew next to nothing about him. What they had just done wasn't love, it was sex. It was two individuals satisfying a raw need for each other.

Bella bit her lip. So where did that put her?

Emmett looked confused. "What?"

Bella realized that she had spoken out loud. She sighed. "You," she began, looking for the right words that wouldn't offend him. "You don't really trust me," Bella said slowly. "You don't love me either, so you have no obligation to me. Me telling you my secrets would just put me at a disadvantage, and where does that leave me? It leaves me weak and helpless against you, whom I know nothing about."

Emmett looked thoughtful. He closed his eyes as if trying to get his thoughts in order. "Bella," he sighed. "I don't know what to tell you. You're right, but…" he trailed off, and Bella bit her lip again.

"Just trust me, _mellita_. Please."

The pleading tone in his voice threw her off guard. Demands, she could deal with. Threats, she could deal with, but begging? That was different territory.

"Why?" she asked, the word barely above a whisper.

"Because I will protect you." His tone was firm, authoritative.

"From what?"

"Anyone. Anything."

Bella couldn't understand it.

"I don't understand," she whispered, fighting to keep the desperation out of her voice. "How can it be that in so little time, you care for me so much?"

Emmett's eyes were clouded with undecipherable emotion. "I don't know," he said softly. "I don't know, _mellita._ Let's find out together?"

Bella stifled a giggle. It sounded so cheesy and romantic. A small smile made its way to Emmett's face. He suddenly looked older than before. Bella's forehead wrinkled with worry. She lifted her head to catch a glimpse of the clock.

"Emmett?"

His eyes were closed. "Yeah?"

"It's almost five in the morning. How about we just go to sleep now?"

He smiled softly. "Sounds good."

Bella relaxed into his chest and watched his face for a bit, enjoying the way the light from the lamp on his night table caressed the sharp angles of his jaw and the curves of his cheekbones.

She listened as his breathing slowed and his face became more peaceful. She noticed that his body never fully relaxed, even in sleep. It seemed like he was always ready to jump up and fight. And protect his own. Protect her.

She didn't know when she fell asleep.

* * *

The sun on her face forced her awake. She froze when she realized Emmett's side of the bed was empty. She immediately panicked. She pulled on a silk pair of shorts, a hoodie and a pair of timberland boots without socks, because she couldn't find anything else to wear. The adrenaline pumping in her veins made her forget about the pain between her legs.

She dashed down the stairs and headed to the door when his voice made her freeze. "Where are you heading off to?" He was barefoot and bare-chested. A dark wash pair of Levi's and his silver dog tags were the only things he was wearing. He held a skillet in one hand, and a large spoon in the other.

Bella's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry if I slept too close to you last night, I don't know what I was thinking, I completely understand why you left, if you would just –"

Emmett rose an eyebrow and rose his spoon in the air, motioning for her to stop talking. "Come here," he said gently.

Her feet moved as if on their own accord toward him until they were almost chest to chest. She didn't notice the awkward way she was walking, but Emmett's grin told her that he did.

Emmett placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "It's not possible to sleep to close to me, so get that idea out of your head. Once again, I'm not Jacob, and I'd really appreciate it if you forgot everything that he 'taught' you."

Bella flushed with embarrassment as she realized that she had overreacted. Emmett wasn't angry with her, he had just gotten out of bed to make breakfast.

"Sorry," she mumbled. She looked up. "Here, let me finish making breakfast for you," she said, reaching for the skillet. Emmett lifted the skillet and the spoon into the air where she couldn't reach it. "No," he said firmly. "Instead," he continued, moving toward the kitchen. "Go call Alice. She's been bugging me about talking to you."

Bella nodded and headed to the stairs with a little difficulty, wondering why Alice would want to talk to her. Alice's number was on a post it on the dresser. Bella picked up her phone and dialed the number quickly.

Alice picked up after the first ring.

"Bella? Bella! How are you?"

"Uh, I'm fine, Alice."

"Do you want to go shopping?"

"Uh, I-"

"Great! I'll pick you up at 2!"

"Alice, wait -!"

Dial tone.

Bella stared at the phone, bewildered. Emmett walked into the room, pulling a shirt on. He laughed at the expression on her face. "Yeah," he said, smoothing the hunter green shirt over his abs. "Talking to Alice does that to you."

Bella smiled softly and walked slowly into the bathroom. "Guess I should shower then," she replied.

Her body wasn't even slick with water yet, when Emmett joined her. She gasped in surprise, and he looked down, one eyebrow raised. "What?" he asked nonchalantly. "I need to shower too. Got some grease on me from this morning."

Bella eyed him evilly. "But you were just putting a shirt on," she retorted. Emmett chuckled, reaching behind her. Bella tensed with excited anticipation, and Emmett laughed even harder, returning with shampoo. "So? I forgot to wash my hair."

Bella narrowed her eyes and whirled around. Two could play that game. She grabbed the bar of soap and ran it over her body gently, dropping it purposely when her sudsy hands drifted over her sore nether regions. "Oops," she said mischievously. She bent slowly to pick the soap up, making sure to press herself firmly against Emmett's growing erection.

"Fuck," he grunted as he tried to move away from her in vain. "Holy shit, Bella, don't do this. You're sore from last night." Bella stood, grinning. "No, I'm not."

Emmett shook his head. "Sometimes you're a shy, innocent girl who looks burdened from the secrets she carries, and other times, you're a confident sex monster who tries to get in my pants every chance she gets. Which exactly are you, Bella Swan?"

Bella grinned, pressing close to him. "How can I be trying to get inside your pants if you aren't wearing any?"

Emmett's groan reverberated off of the shower walls. "Bella!" he cried, straining to control himself. Bella wiggled her eyebrows. "What if I'm a shy innocent girl who is burdened from the secrets she carries but also loves sex?"

Emmett's eyes looked like they were about to fall out of their sockets. "You're so confusing," he mumbled. Bella pressed closer to him. He was right, she _was_ sore, but the hot water was helping. Yet, she couldn't help but want him again. It had been so _good_.

"Please, Emmett?" He reached behind her, pressing their bodies deliciously close together before pulling back. The steaming hot water made a violent switch to ice cold. He grinned as Bella jumped in shock at the change. "No," he answered firmly. Bella glared at him before exiting the shower. He smacked her butt lightly as she left, laughing at her anger.

* * *

Riding in Alice's car was similar to riding in a roller coaster. You were always afraid to die regardless of the safety belts. Alice pulled smoothly into a parking spot in front of a cluster of boutiques and got out, stretching her arms cheerfully. Bella followed suit, suddenly glad that she hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, otherwise it would surely be spewed all over Alice's Italian leather interior.

"Here we are!" she chirped, running around to link arms with Bella. Bella smiled at Alice's cheerfulness. "Where exactly are we?"

Alice grinned secretively. "You'll see!"

As they walked down the sidewalk, lined on either side with expensive boutiques, Alice was a ball of non-stop chatter.

"So, Bella, have you slept with him yet?"

Bella's eyes widened. "W-What?"

Alice giggled. "Oh, come on. Did you guys do the dirty deed?"

Bella flushed. "Uh yeah. Last night."

Alice looked delighted. "Is he big?"

Bella choked on air. "Alice!"

Alice giggled again. "What? I mean, the rest of him is huge! Wouldn't it be a shame if he wasn't proportional?"

Bella couldn't help but smile. Alice nodded knowingly. "The smile on your face and the limp in your walk tells me all that I need to know," Alice said, winking.

Suddenly, something caught Bella's eye. Bella froze and stared into the window of the boutique to her right. Alice followed her gaze. "Hm?" She questioned. "Want to go in?" Bella shook her head but walked closer to the glass, staring at a pair of soft, pink ballet slippers.

Alice followed her. "You dance?" she asked softly.

Bella nodded, then caught herself. "Not anymore. I used to, though."

Alice stared at her for a while. "Why did you stop?" Bella shrugged. "Family problems."

Alice nodded. "Were you good?"

Bella smiled softly. "I'd like to think so…"

Bella sighed, then tore herself away from the window. "Okay," she said, forcing cheer into her voice. "Let's go." Alice paused, but decided not to push the subject, cheerfully dragging Bella along.

They walked into a store that was much too expensive for Bella's taste. "There's an Empire ball tonight," Alice explained, dragging Bella to the back toward the dresses.

Bella rose an eyebrow. "Really? Emmett didn't tell me about that..." Alice nodded knowingly, pulling a dress out of the rack. "He's not planning on going, but it's super important." She held the dress up to Bella, mentally measuring her. She tutted in disapproval, and put it back. "That's why it's up to you," she said, pulling a tiny black dress out of the rack. "To convince him to go." She grinned and tossed the dress at Bella, nudging her towards a fitting room.

The dress was made of silk and wasn't too revealing. Bella pulled it on quickly, and it slid on like a second skin. The neckline plunged dangerously, and the dress did wonders for her legs. It contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and Bella had to admit that Alice had stellar taste. "Come out, won't you?" Alice cried impatiently. "We still have to get you shoes!"

Bella walked out shyly, and Alice gasped. "You look beautiful," she cried, excited. "Now with an up-do," she murmured, reaching behind Bella to pull her hair up. Alice gasped in horror. "What's this?" she cried. Bella tensed. "What?"

Alice tutted again. "Tell Emmett to leave you hickeys in places where they won't interfere with my creation!" Bella flushed with embarrassment. She had completely forgotten about the hickey.

Alice sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, it's not that dark. Nothing a little foundation can't fix."

Alice grabbed a pair of shoes from a nearby rack, and dropped them in front of Bella. "Size seven? I guessed. They're Jimmy Choo, so step carefully."

The heels were deadly, but the little black bow on the sides were so cute Bella didn't mind sliding her feet into them. Alice applauded. "Beautiful. It's all beautiful." She moved quickly to a jewelry column and grabbed a pair of pearls. She draped them over Bella's neck, and gave Bella the earrings to put on. Alice let out a low whistle. "Rosalie ain't got _nothing_ on you…" Alice trailed off as if suddenly realizing the enormity of her words.

"Alice?" Bella asked uncertainly. "Who's Rosalie?" Suddenly, Bella felt threatened by this woman who had obviously played a large role in Emmett's life. Alice sighed. "You'll have to ask Emmett about her," she answered softly, helping Bella out of her dress.

Bella bit her lip. Who the _hell_ was Rosalie?


	9. Empire Ball

**I apologize for the super late update. ):**

**But, thank you for your reviews! I read every single one of them and my heart leaps with joy when I get a Review alert!**

_- __Disclaimer:__ Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I, however, own the plot and the personalities of the story 'The World We Live In'._

**

* * *

**

**Empire Ball**

**Emmett's POV**

Emmett pulled on a pair of jeans, Jordans, and a dark navy blue polo shirt that clung to his frame. He pulled on a black jacket because it had begun to get cold outside, and he wondered absentmindedly if Bella had taken a jacket with her when she left.

He shook his head to clear thoughts of her from his head. He was growing more attached to this mysterious girl who obviously hid painful secrets from him. Yet, she was confident and strong and not afraid to stand up to him. He couldn't figure her out, and the intrigue that surrounded her drew him to her.

His blackberry vibrated, pulling him out of his thoughts. It was Jasper.

**You going to swing by and pick me up?**

Emmett chuckled at his brother's impatience. He jogged down the stairs and into the garage. He unlocked his car and slid in, letting the engine warm up first. He pulled out his phone and quickly texted Jasper back.

**Relax, I'm on my way.**

The ride to Jasper's extravagant home was uneventful. Jasper was waiting for him in the front of his large estate, and when he saw Emmett pull up, he jogged quickly to the passenger's side and slid in. "I can't get over how big your home is," Emmett chuckled, speeding away from the house and toward the border of La Push. Jasper shrugged, pulling his seat belt on. "What the little lady wants, she gets," he answered, pulling out a silver revolver and looking for bullets in his pockets.

Emmett grinned. "Whipped," he commented, taking sharp turn. Jasper glared at him as he was tossed toward the door. "You will be soon. I see how you look at Bella." Emmett smiled, saying nothing.

Jasper leaned forward and changed the music station. "But seriously man, what's going on between you and her?" Emmett shrugged as he sped through a yellow light.

"I don't know. I like her a lot though."

Jasper chuckled. "Isn't it a little too soon for that?"

Emmett smiled. "We both keep thinking the same thing," he said, turning down a narrow street. "But I'll take it as it comes," he finished, slowing down.

Emmett let the car idle for a bit before turning the engine off, making sure the car was well placed in the shadows. "What about Rosalie?" Jasper asked into the silence. Emmett clenched his jaw. Jasper didn't back away from the subject.

"What _about_ Rosalie?" Emmett bit out.

Jasper shrugged, looking away. "Didn't you love her?"

Emmett's grip on the wheel tightened. "Does it matter?"

Annoyance flashed brightly in Jasper's eyes. "Stop answering my questions with a question."

Emmett relaxed his grip on the wheel and let his hand fall to the gun in his waistband. His body tensed as he caught sight of movement. Emmett nodded toward the person trying to move stealthily.

"I thought the Quileutes didn't know about this," Emmett said softly. Jasper tensed. "I thought so too," he replied, watching the man crouch down behind a crate. Jasper cocked his gun, but Emmett held up a hand. "Wait," he said slowly. "See what happens first."

Jasper nodded, but neither man relaxed. Slowly, the subs from Empire began to arrive, each looking nervous and jittery. A truck pulled up about half an hour later. It was a small, nondescript truck driven by a dark man with dreads. Emmett assumed that he was the Jamaican they would be dealing with. The man looked around cautiously before hopping out of the truck. He was bare-chested, wearing only suspenders and a dark pair of jeans that concealed obvious weapons. He walked with a purposeful, powerful stride, and his eyes were cold obsidian orbs of death.

Emmett chuckled at the description, and Jasper looked at him strangely. Emmett shook his head and placed a finger on his lips. With a wave of his hand, two other large Jamaican men hopped out of the truck, and opened the back, showing large brown crates of pure, uncut cocaine. The man looked down at a small piece of paper. "Five crates," he said, his soft voice carrying over the clearing. Several Empire subs jumped forward to help lift the heavy crates out of the back of the truck while two others approached the man with a white envelope. The Jamaican took the envelope and handed it to one of his subs. The money was all there. The Jamaican smiled and extended his hand to the Empire sub in front of him.

"Tell your bosses I said that it was nice doing business with them." The sub nodded curtly before directing the others to bring the crates into the three cars they had brought with them. The Jamaican hopped back into the cab of the truck, and his subs followed him. Then they were gone.

Emmett looked at his watch. The whole affair had taken a little over half an hour. Emmett was pleased and noted that they should do business with this guy more often. He watched as the remaining Empire subs cleaned up the area, dusting the tire tacks away and removing any trace of illegal activity before climbing into their cars and disappearing. Emmett rose an eyebrow at Jasper.

"The Quileute?" Jasper shrugged. They waited a bit longer before the man behind the crate stood up, a small recorder in his hand. He looked both ways before pulling out a phone. "Shit," Jasper cursed before jumping out of the car. Emmett was faster.

The sound of lead leaving the gun was undecipherable due to the silencer. The bullet caught the guy in the leg, sending him to the ground with a look of pain and anger on his face. Jasper was on top of him by the time Emmett reached him. Emmett bent, picked up the recorder and looked at it. He pulled out the tape, then smiled and threw the recorder at the wall with enough force to smash it into bits.

"Fucker!" the man screamed as he writhed in agony.

Jasper kicked him. "Watch your mouth," he growled.

Emmett cocked his gun. "Why are you here?" he asked, his tone flat.

The man writhed under Jasper's hold, but didn't answer, sending a glare in Emmett's direction instead. Jasper tutted, shaking his head. "You should probably answer him," he said devilishly. "You know what they say. Snitches get stitches."

The man's eyes suddenly widened in horror as he looked down the barrel of Emmett's gun, suddenly realizing that he was in a serious situation. "I just wanted to get into a higher rank," he cried.

Emmett chuckled and shook his head. "Wrong way to do it. How did you find out about this?" The man refused to answer.

Jasper shrugged, and pulled out his revolver. "Oh well," he said nonchalantly, as his finger pressed down on the trigger.

Emmett jumped back from the sudden spray of blood, cursing. "Could've given a warning, Jasper!" Jasper shrugged, walking back toward the car. "He was going to die anyway," he said nonchalantly. Emmett shook his head and followed.

In the passenger's seat, Jasper pressed a button on his phone and barked an order for some subs to come and clean up the mess. They arrived shortly after the call.

As soon as Emmett was behind the wheel, he had a strong urge to get back home quickly to Bella. He grinned. _To Bella._ Jasper rose an eyebrow. "What's got you so happy?" Emmett shrugged. "Just can't wait to get home." Jasper chuckled knowingly. "And you said I was whipped?" Emmett pulled up to Jasper's estate. "Get out," he said, a laugh in his voice. Emmett's phone buzzed as soon as Jasper closed the door. It was from Alice.

**Bella used to dance. Ballet.**

* * *

He walked into his home to see Bella sitting on the couch, her hair tied into a sloppy bun, wearing a pink pair of shorts and an oversized sweater. She was watching television, but she didn't look too interested. She looked up when he walked in. "Hey," he said gently, tugging his jacket off. "Had fun with Alice?"Bella nodded noncommittally, turning her attention back to the television.

Emmett frowned, and threw himself on the couch beside her so he was half sitting and half laying in her lap. "Did something happen?" he asked, trailing a finger along her soft collarbone. She frowned. "No," she answered, pulling away from him slightly.

Emmett was perplexed. "Then what is it?" he asked, sitting up and pressing gentle kisses to her neck. She sighed. "Emmett, who's Rosalie?" Emmett froze and pulled away from her.

"What?"

He turned her so she was facing him, looking into his eyes. She looked like she was about to cry. "Who's Rosalie?" she repeated.

Emmett could feel himself tensing. "Why are you asking about her? What did Alice tell you?" Bella shrugged and turned away, facing the television again. "Never mind," she muttered, changing the channel. Emmett sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I had a long day, Bella. I don't need this from you." She stiffened, and Emmett immediately wanted to take his words back. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

He could see that she was drawing into herself, away from him. He wanted to reach out and pull her back. "No, Bella," he said, pulling her into his lap so he could crush her into his chest. The feeling of her soft body against his was enough to give him an erection.

"Forget about it," he sighed, breathing in her scent. "Please?"

She didn't relax. Emmett wanted to shout with frustration. He turned her around to face him. "I'll tell you when the time is right, okay?" She looked up, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "Okay," she answered forlornly.

He smiled and kissed her, pressing her close to him. "Emmett?" He almost melted at the way she whimpered his name.

"Yeah?"

"I brought a dress…" she said, trailing off. He smiled.

"Want to go try it on for me?"

She grinned and got off his lap, disappearing upstairs.

Emmett flipped through the channels, finally deciding to watch a football game. He couldn't help but wonder what was taking her so long.

The sound of heels clicking made him turn around.

And almost faint.

Bella stood there, her hair up in a bun, her face glowing. She was wearing a sexy little black dress and killer heels. He let out a low whistle. _She cleaned up good. _"Come here," he said, motioning toward the couch. He wiped the corner of his mouth, sure that he was drooling.

Bella smiled as he licked his lips. She walked toward him, and he reached for her. She shook her head. "No," she said mischievously. "You'll ruin my makeup." Emmett was confused. "Why are you wearing makeup?" Bella smiled brightly. "Because, we're going to the Empire Ball tonight!"

He should've known.

"No," he said firmly. "No, no, no. I do not do balls."

Bella pouted. "But, you wouldn't tell me about Rosalie, so…"

Emmett groaned and rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Are you _blackmailing_ me?"

Bella bit her lip seductively. "Fine," she said, walking away, and swaying her hips. "I guess I'll sleep on the couch for the _month_." Emmett groaned again. She was threatening him with no sex.

"You wouldn't last long either!" he called after her. He stood and began walking toward her, stopping when she whirled around.

"I have a little friend called a vibrator…"

Emmett almost fragmented. "Alright! Alright, we'll go to the ball!"

Bella giggled. "Thank you!" she cried, running toward him and crushing herself into his chest, throwing her arms around his neck. He shook his head. Jasper was right. He was whipped.

* * *

The ball was boring to say the least. Emmett felt brain dead. As soon as he arrived, Alice had whisked Bella away from him to go gush and gossip about the other people in the ball. Emmett was left alone by the bar, but he didn't mind because from his point, he could watch her.

Bella moved like fluid grace as she wove through the crowd behind Alice, smiling politely and greeting the people Alice pointed out to her. Her hair was in an intricate up-do, but some wisps of hair escaped the bun and grazed the back of her neck. Her tucked in hips were highlighted by the dress that seemingly clung to her curves. She had the perfect hourglass figure and Emmett groaned as longing overtook him, and he had to turn at an angle to disguise the growing bulge in his pants.

"Vodka," he said to the bartender who nodded and went to prepare his drink. Emmett took a seat on the stools, determined not to look at Bella until his desire had subsided. A sudden hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts, and he tensed, a natural instinct.

"Woah, woah," Jasper cried, laughing, and throwing his hands up in the air in a surrendering pose. Emmett smiled tersely as Jasper took a seat beside him. "A bloody mary," Jasper said to the bartender who had returned with Emmett's drink. "Heavy on the tomato juice."

"I thought you weren't coming," Jasper said, teasing his brother. Emmett chuckled and shrugged. "Bella," he offered as an answer before taking a sip of his liquor.

Jasper wrinkled his nose. "Nice choice of poison, but you'll be out cold before the night is through."

Emmett fought a roar of laughter. "You're the one who should be cautious," Emmett answered, taking another drag from his glass. "You have a low alcohol tolerance, and your drink is very similar to mine, save the tomato juice."

Jasper shrugged. "Maybe I _want_ to be out cold before the end of this thing."

Emmett surveyed the well dressed crowd. "It _is_ pretty boring, isn't it?"

Jasper nodded. "Edward planned it not knowing that he would be in Italy now, so that explains it a bit."

Emmett nodded. "I heard he's coming back tonight."

Jasper smiled as the bartender returned with his drink. "You heard right," he said cheerfully. "Everything went just dandy." Jasper rose his glass to his lips but Alice suddenly appeared, Bella in tow.

"Jasper Whitlock-Cullen!" Alice cried firmly. "You _know_ you can't drink alcohol so exactly _what_ are you doing?"

Jasper looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Emmett disguised a laugh as a cough. "It's tomato juice!" Jasper finally cried in defense. Alice glared at him and grabbed the glass, setting it on the counter.

"You, Mr. Whitlock-Cullen, are in _very_ big trouble."

Emmett couldn't contain his laughter as he clapped his brother on the back. "Whipped!" he cooed. Alice turned her stern gaze to him.

"I'd punish you too, Emmett McCarty-Cullen, if Bella weren't already here to take care of you."

Emmett smiled and wiggled his eyebrows in Bella's direction. She blushed.

Jasper smiled slowly as he drew Alice into his chest. "I didn't drink any alcohol, baby," he murmured. "So let's forget about this, alright?" Alice bit her lip, obviously trying to fight Jasper's charm. Emmett looked away, feeling like a pervert for watching them have a private moment.

It was silent behind him and he assumed they were kissing.

"You've been very naughty," Alice said softly, but Emmett heard, and rolled his eyes.

"You going to punish me?" Jasper asked, his tone laced with lust.

Emmett gagged. "Go home, you two," Emmett begged, whirling around to see the couple wrapped up in each other's arms. Jasper didn't look up. "That's what we were planning to do, weren't we, baby?" Alice giggled. Emmett rolled his eyes and looked at Bella.

She looked…_envious_? Emmett frowned and leaned forward to lace his fingers around her tiny wrist. He pulled her toward him, settling her in between his legs. "What's wrong?" he asked softly, his blue eyes searching her brown ones. She smiled and cleared her throat. "Nothing," she answered cheerfully. "Alice and Jasper are just so cute, it would be nice to have that…" she trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized what she had just said. Emmett grinned. "So you're into spanking?"

Bella flushed a delightful pink. "N-No!" she stammered. Emmett chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Want to dance with me?" She bit her lip and nodded. Emmett got off the stool, leading her into the midst of the crowd, his drink forgotten.

He pulled her tightly against his chest, and rested his hands on her hips, resting his cheek on the side of her head. He sighed as her arms laced themselves around his neck. They swayed to the music for a bit before Bella pulled away. "Emmett?"

He looked down, fighting from getting lost in her large, brown eyes. He snorted inwardly at how weak he was becoming. "Yeah?"

"Why won't you tell me who Rosalie is?"

Emmett closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I-I can't," he answered, mentally kicking himself for not coming up with a better answer. "It's the same reason you won't tell me about your father."

Bella bit her lip thoughtfully. "So if I tell you about Charlie, then you'll tell me about Rosalie?"

Emmett didn't answer. Bella didn't push the subject further. He closed his eyes and pulled her flush against him again, her scent and her feel slowly driving him insane. Bella giggled as she felt his erection growing against her stomach. "You find this funny?" Emmett growled, but his eyes twinkled with amusement. Bella bit her lip and nodded. He smiled devilishly and moved one hand from her hip up her side. Her nipples pebbled underneath her silk dress and she closed her eyes.

She suddenly froze. "We're in public, Emmett," she whispered harshly. Emmett smirked, his eyes dancing with enjoyment. "So?" Bella narrowed her eyes. "So? So this can turn out to be a very embarrassing situation, that's what's so!"

Emmett smiled darkly as his hand rested on her hip again. She smiled. He let his other hand, however, trail to the small of her back, then further down. She bit back a groan, but a small whimper escaped her.

They were now at the edge of the ballroom, almost completely hidden by the shadows, but still part of the dancing population. "Emmett," Bella sighed as he slowly ground his erection into her, still keeping beat with the music playing. "Yes?" he asked calmly, trying to appear unaffected by their games.

Suddenly, he froze, and Bella looked up at him in confusion. "You can't do that, then just _stop_," she hissed. Emmett was staring at something over her head. She followed his gaze. "What?" she asked, suddenly worried.

Emmett cleared his throats. "My parents," he murmured. "They're coming this way." Bella rose an eyebrow. "What's so bad about that?" she asked. Emmett bit his lip. "You'll see."

Emmett's adoptive parents finally stopped in front of them, smiles plastered on their faces. Emmett's grip tightened around Bella, and she looked up at him, perplexed. "Emmett!" Esme cooed, kissing him on the cheek. "Hi mom, dad." Carlisle smiled and nodded. Esme turned her gaze to Bella. "Who is this lovely girl?" Bella blushed slightly. "I'm Isabella," she introduced herself, offering her hand to shake. Esme gripped it tightly and shook it, smiling. "I'm Esme, and this is my husband, Carlisle." She looked back to Emmett. "Well, I'm glad you've moved on from that other girl," she cooed.

Emmett tensed, but Esme plowed on. "I knew she wasn't good for you from the start."

Emmett clenched his jaw. "Mom," he bit out. "Not now."

Esme looked taken aback. "Is that any way to talk to your mother?"

Carlisle grasped his wife's elbow, and Esme quieted immediately. Esme talked a lot, but it was obvious who held the power in the couple. "Come over and visit, son," Carlisle told Emmett. "This Saturday?"

Emmett looked torn. "I don't know," he answered. "I might have stuff to do."

"Oh, come on, Emmett," Esme piped up. "It'll be the last time you see us before we leave for Rome! And you can bring Isabella too!" Esme smiled at Bella who returned her smile. Emmett shrugged.

"Alright," he answered. "We'll come by for a visit."

Esme cooed with happiness. "Wonderful!" she cried. "Now, I'll leave you two alone. See you Saturday!"

Just as soon as Esme and Carlisle had appeared, they disappeared. Emmett let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, rubbing his forehead. Bella bit her lip in concern. "You okay?" she asked, resting her small hands on either side of his face. He took her hand and kissed it, before pulling her flush against him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Bella nodded and melted against him. "Why is it so stressful for you to meet your parents?" she asked softly. Emmett was silent for a moment. "Don't worry about it," he finally answered. Bella tensed. "Another secret, huh?" she murmured bitterly.

Emmett was annoyed that she didn't drop the subject. He pulled away from her. "Why does it matter?" he asked, his eyes cold.

She glared up at him. "Oh, I don't know," she said, her words sharp with sarcasm. "Maybe because you're completely comfortable demanding to know about my private life, but you refuse to tell me anything about yours."

Emmett clenched his jaw. "It's not like you've told me anything thus far either," he pointed out.

Bella's glare softened with tears. "It hasn't ever really mattered, has it?" she accused. Emmet was confused. "What the hell are you saying?" he asked, wondering where her sudden outburst came from.

"I'm saying that none of this," she said, motioning to the two of them. "Has ever really mattered. You're using me as a way to get over that _Rosalie_ chick," she spat. "I'm nothing to you. It all makes sense. You don't want to let me in because you don't care about me. All that bullshit you said about not knowing why you feel the way you do about me was just a way to get out of answering me directly, wasn't it?" Emmett was at a loss for words.

"Great," Bella hissed. "Don't answer me. Don't tell me anything, it's not _important_. Because you still love her, don't you? You still love Rosalie and that's why there's no room in your heart for me. Well, you know what? There's no room in my life for you either."

She whirled away and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Emmett standing alone. He closed his eyes and fought to order his thoughts. Bella thought he still loved Rosalie and was just using her as a way to get over his past. She believed that he didn't really care about her. Emmett clenched his jaw and followed her, unsure of where exactly she had gone, but determined to fix everything.

He found her sitting outside, trying to still her trembling hands enough to call someone to pick her up. "Bella," he sighed. She stood and backed away. "Don't, Emmett," she pleaded. "It's alright. I understand that you love her, and I swear I won't turn you in, so just let me go, okay?"

Emmett took a step toward her and she took a step back. "I won't tell anyone," she promised again, her eyes pleading.

Emmett closed his eyes against the emotions bubbling up inside of him. When he calmed himself enough to open his eyes, he took three long strides towards her and was chest to chest with her in moments. He laced his fingers around her wrists and held her to him.

"Bella," he murmured slowly, wrapping his arms around her to shield her from the cold. "I don't mean to shut you out, and I don't love Rosalie. What I told you about the way I feel for you was the complete truth. Why are you inclined to believe that I'm lying?"

Bella's trembling had stopped and she was silent for a while. "Because every time I ask you a question, you avoid it," she answered in a small voice. He relaxed his grip on her and she looked up at him. "And it all fits together perfectly, so I can't –"

Emmett cut her off with a swift press of his lips to hers. She melted against him as he deepened the kiss, his hand moving to her bun to release her hair so he could tug on it.

"Bella," he said when they had broken apart to breathe. He was at a loss for words. "Let's go home, okay?" She bit her lip. "I promise I'll explain everything there." She looked up at him, searching for something in his eyes.

"Okay," she finally sighed as Emmett motioned for the valet to bring his car out. He smiled and hugged her to his chest again.

_

* * *

_

**_So what do you think? Was it too emotional on Bella's part? What do you think of Bella as a character?  
BTW: Sub, in this story, refers to subordinates, the people beneath the big bosses like Edward, Jasper and Emmett. _**

**_Happy New Years!_**


	10. Fluff and Stuff

**Please don't hate me!  
But I'm back! I hope you guys didn't miss this too much. As an offering, I present this chapter to you. The next update should be either later today, or Monday. Pinky promise! *A/N at the bottom. See you there!**

* * *

**Fluff and Stuff**

Emmett walked into his home – their home – dreading their 'talk'. He wasn't _afraid_ of it, because Emmet knew no fear, but he was apprehensive. Bella would most surely ask about Rosalie, but he wasn't ready to talk about that yet.

_He wasn't healed yet_.

He brushed the thought away, and turned to face Bella, a tentative smile on his face. "I'm going to change first, alright?" She looked up at him and nodded, seemingly immersed in her own thoughts. "Yeah, me too."

Emmett grinned at the prospect of seeing her naked, but he quickly shut those perverted thoughts away.

He walked into the bedroom, and Bella followed, making a beeline for the closet as soon as she walked in. She plucked a few clothes from hangers and disappeared into the bathroom. Emmett sighed as he pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a white v-neck. He went down to the living room to wait for Bella, popping in a DVD to chase away the boredom. _And nervousness. _

She reappeared moments later, obviously unaware of the effects she was having on him. Her hair was up in a loose ponytail that grazed the porcelain skin of her neck. She was wearing miniscule shorts that should be considered a pair of panties. She too, had opted for a white shirt that clung to her curves more than was necessary.

Emmett groaned. "Bella, are you trying to distract me?" She immediately flushed a pretty pink. "No, but I wanted to be comfortable," she answered, taking a seat on a single couch opposite from him. "What are you watching?" she asked, nodding toward the television. Emmett didn't look away from her. "You," he answered quietly.

Bella's eyes jumped to his face in surprise, and her cheeks began to turn pink. Emmett couldn't help but grin. "Come here," he said softly, offering her a hand. She looked unsure of herself for a moment before she stood and took his outstretched hand. He pulled her into his lap and the scent of strawberries and vanilla and _Bella_ flooded his senses. He didn't think about pressing his lips to hers lightly, drawing her plump bottom lip into his mouth to suck on. He nibbled gently on her lip before running his tongue against the seam of her lips, searching for entrance.

Bella complied almost instantly, accepting him into the warm cavern of her mouth. His tongue dueled with hers, before he explored her mouth, claiming her as his own. Suddenly, she pulled away.

"Emmett," she said, her voice a little breathy. "The talk," she whispered. "We need to talk."

Emmett closed his eyes, trying to calm his raging erection, but he was too far gone. "Do you think maybe we could…?" He wiggled his eyebrows. Bella rolled her eyes. "Not at all," she answered, poking his chest to accentuate her words. "Talking is more important."

Emmett ran a hand through his hair. He would definitely need a hot shower tonight.

"So…" Emmett began, trailing off. "You go first?"

Bella narrowed her eyes. "Why don't _you_ go first?" Emmett shrugged. "I'm not ready," he answered truthfully, letting her see his sincerity in his eyes. Bella lowered her brown eyes. Emmett frowned. "Don't do that, Bella. Don't shut me out. Don't _ever_ do that," he said, placing a finger under her chin and tilting her head up.

She bit her lip. "Honestly, I'm not ready either," she answered. Emmett rested his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, babe. I'm supposed to be this tough drug lord who's next in line to inherit Empire, but yet I can't tell you about my past."

Bella sighed softly, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's alright," she answered. "You can tell me when you're ready." Emmett kissed her neck softly before wrapping his arms around her waist. "You want to go to sleep?" he asked softly. "Tomorrow's a big day."

Bella pulled away from him, eyes wide in question. "What's happening tomorrow?"

Emmett grinned conspiratorially. "You'll see," he answered, standing up with Bella still latched around his waist. Bella's grip tightened around him. Emmett chuckled. "Relax, spider monkey," he said softly, kissing her neck again.

"Don't drop me," Bella whimpered.

Emmett tightened his grip around her as he headed toward the stairs. "Never," he answered.

In the bedroom, he placed her gently on the bed before climbing under the covers beside her. Bella turned over to face him, staring at him with wide doe eyes.

"What?" Emmett chuckled tiredly; sleep already beginning to take him.

"Where are we going tomorrow?" Bella asked innocently.

Emmett laughed out loud. "It's a secret," he answered, tapping her nose softly. Bella narrowed her eyes. "I bet I can make you tell me," she said seductively. Emmett grinned. "I bet you could," he responded, accepting the challenge. "But, I'm sleepy, so good night!" He promptly turned over on his side and turned out the lights. He could almost hear Bella's pout in the darkness. He chuckled and turned around, searching for her face with his hands. "Cheater," Bella said softly.

Emmett chuckled and kissed her, pulling her close to him before allowing sleep to take him.

The next morning, Emmett was up before the sun had risen. He looked down at Bella's sleeping form and decided not to wake her yet. He showered and dressed before returning to the bedside, torn between climbing back into bed with her, or presenting her with her surprise. He bit his lip. Climbing back into bed seemed like an awfully good idea compared to giving her his 'surprise' that he wasn't even sure she'd like.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." He was drawn out of his thoughts by Bella's sleepy voice. He almost laughed out loud, but the desire to kiss her quelled that notion.

He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned away, wrinkling her nose. "Ew, I have morning breath!" Emmett grinned. "I'm not complaining." Bella groaned, and the sound sent flames down Emmett's spine. She opened her eyes sleepily, blinking away sleep. "Why are you awake at this ungodly hour?" she asked, stretching and tempting Emmett with a sliver of soft skin that showed. Emmett licked his lips and fought from jumping her bones right then and there. "Uh, your surprise," Emmett answered. He stood up, and straightened his shirt. "Shower quickly, I'll be down stairs. We'll get breakfast on the go." Bella seemed wide awake now, and nodded, standing up and walking to the bathroom.

Once again, Emmett had to fight an urge to follow her in. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

**Yes, I know, it's really short ):**

**But that's because the next chapter is really long and it'll be filled with the beginning of angst. So, I wanted to get this fluff chapter out before things start to get ... heavy. I've got an outline, don't worry, I promise I know what I'm doing.  
I also promise that the next chapters won't be few and far apart. I'll be updating frequently since the first term of school is over. There are about 10 - 12 chapters left and definitely, DEFINITELY an epilogue. The coming chapters might require an outtake of a character (Guess who?), so I'll be sending those out by review. **

**Hope you still love me! Review, and let me know what you think Bella's surprise is! (: **


	11. The Surprise

**So this story was on hiatus for a while, but you all have encouraged me to pick it up again. Special shout out to jessa76, that PM meant more than you know.**

**Also, as for my other story, All Fall Down, I haven't given up on it, but I want to try to finish TWWLI first before I go after that story. Head over there when this story comes to a close!**

**Here's Chapter 11. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! I love each and every one of you!**

Disclaimer: _These are Meyer's characters, I just like to muck 'em up a little bit._

* * *

Emmett drove with one hand on the wheel, and one hand clasping Bella's over the gear shift. For some reason, he couldn't keep himself from touching her. He glanced over at her as he exited the highway. She was biting her lip, and looking out the window. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, but she looked happier, somehow. He smiled to himself, and inwardly groaned. Her happiness made him happy. It also made him whipped.

He pulled into a smooth parking behind a low building, and switched the engine off. He was excited and nervous. He really hoped she would like his surprise, but there was also a chance that she didn't want to be reminded of her past. "Okay," he said, turning to her. "We're here."

Bella rose an eyebrow.

"Where's here?"

Emmett smiled. "Come on."

As usual, she got out of the car before he could open the door for her. This time, however, he was too nervous to be frustrated. Without thinking about it, he reached for her hand, surprised at how small she was compared to him.

Hand in hand, they walked around the building and Bella froze. "Emmett," she breathed, staring up in shock and awe at the building in front of them. He watched carefully for her reaction. She remained speechless.

"Alice told me you used to dance," he explained, hurriedly. "I just thought that you'd like to do it again. I don't know if this was the best idea though, if you like it we can just leave…" He trailed off, realizing that he was babbling.

Emmett Cullen didn't babble.

She turned to him slowly, her eyes glistening with tears.

His heart almost stopped. She didn't like it. He began opening his mouth to apologize when she grabbed his face and kissed him hard. Her actions took him by surprise, but he immediately wrapped his hands around her waist and reciprocated. She pulled away after a minute, her hands still around his face. "I love it," she whispered. "Thank you so much." Her voice was trembling, and he suspected she would burst into tears at any moment. He didn't want to cause a scene, so he smiled, shrugged, and pulled her inside to get her registered.

"Are you a first time registration or are you transferring classes?" A dark haired man approached them almost immediately. Emmett was surprised that the place was swarming with people. He knew that this specific dance school was renown for its teachers and its ballet program, but he had no idea how many people would be there trying to register.

"First time registration," Emmett replied gruffly, pulling Bella closer to him. The man kept his gaze trained on Bella. He smiled and offered her his hand.

"Alright," he said, in a tone that Emmett didn't like. "Let's get you signed up!"

Bella moved to take his hand, but Emmett moved between them. He looked down at the man and smiled a smile that wasn't really a smile at all. "Great. Lead the way," he said, through gritted teeth. The man rose an eyebrow and turned sharply, weaving and bobbing through the crowd.

"Isn't this great?" Bella cried, clinging to Emmett's arm. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she looked at all of the dance posters and trophies. She looked like a child in a candy shop. But the way the eyes of more than one man in the room followed her made Emmett extremely uncomfortable.

They approached a window, where a young blonde typed furiously at a computer. They were at the end of the line, and Emmett could see that the woman was getting tired of all of these applicants. The school was known to be extremely competitive, and all applicants received six weeks of training before having to compete for a spot with a dance teacher. Despite the competitiveness, Emmett didn't worry. He knew Bella would get in. And even if she was struggling, he would hire the best of trainers for her.

The dark-haired man turned around, a smile on his face, and his gaze trained on Bella. "How rude of me," he cried. "I didn't introduce myself." He extended his hand again. "I'm Garrett."

Bella smiled and took his hand, making Emmett more uncomfortable than before. "I'm Bella. Do you train here?"

They began talking about dance and throwing around terms that Emmett was unfamiliar with. He felt out of his element. And this Garrett person was definitely flirting with his Bella.

_His Bella._

The thought came into his mind unbidden, but the more he mulled over it, the nicer it sounded. _His Bella_. She was his and he was hers if that's what she wanted. He cared about her more than he had thought himself capable.

"Emmett?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked down at Bella. "Yeah?"

"Garrett says there's a show later on. All of the ballerinas from the company are going to dance. Do you think we can stay?"

Emmett laughed inwardly. Of course he would stay for her. He would do anything she asked.

"Yeah, definitely. I just need to make a few calls. I'll be right back."

She nodded, looking happier than he had ever seen her. He stepped away from the line and pulled out his phone. He punched in a number and it rang twice before Jasper picked up.

"Jasper, I'm going to be out with Bella a little longer than I planned."

Jasper laughed. "Whipped!" he crowed. Emmett smiled.

"I can't come with you on the hit today," Emmett continued. "Unless you want to put it off?"

Jasper scoffed. "No, man, I'm grown. I can do it myself. I'll let you know what happened later.

Emmett grunted. "Fine," he answered.

"Have fun with your girlfriend," Jasper sang through the phone, teasing.

Emmett wished he could give him the finger. "This is where I hang up."

He hung up on Jasper's laughter, and decided that he would have to get revenge as soon as possible. Not wanting to leave Bella and Garrett alone for longer than necessary, he went back to the line.

The line seemed to have grown exponentially since the time he had left it. Bella and Garrett had moved up a few spaces, but they still had a long waiting time. As he approached the line, he realized that Bella wasn't _just_ talking to Garrett. A few other metro sexual male dancers had swooped in like vultures to a carcass, all vying for her attention. This was too much.

"Bella," Emmett said gruffly as he approached her and her entourage. She turned around, her eyes bright. "Emmett, I–"

He pulled her flush against him and kissed her deeply. He smiled against her mouth as she melted into him. She clutched onto his chest as if trying to keep from being swept away. When they finally pulled away from each other, she looked a little dazed. Her cheeks turned pink when she realized that they had an audience.

"Uh, I'll catch up with you later at the show?" Garrett volunteered into the silence. Bella grinned and nodded. "I'll save you two seats," he continued, glancing sideways at Emmett.

Bella smiled. "Definitely! I'll see you later, Garrett!" He smiled and disappeared with the rest of the dancers.

When they were gone, Bella whirled around, an eyebrow raised. "Was that really necessary?" Emmett laughed at the pretend pout on her face. "It was getting out of hand," he answered. "But then again, I might just like kissing you." Bella turned pink again, and bit her lip, a habit Emmett had come to find endearing.

After Bella registered, they went out together to find lunch. Emmett wasn't particularly hungry, but he got a sandwich to appease Bella.

Their conversation was light, and Bella was more talkative than he had ever seen her. This Bella was a completely different one, and Emmett found himself enamored with her.

"Bella," he said softly, interrupting her story. She quieted almost immediately, looking at him with anticipation.

"About Rosalie…"

Bella looked down at her food, and moved it around with her fork. "You know," she said quietly. "You don't have to talk about this…"

Emmett shook his head, resolved. "I want to," he said firmly. Bella looked up, and Emmett plowed on. "I met her a few years after I had been adopted, and she was my best friend. Whenever I had trouble in school, she helped me. She was always good at English, science and social studies. The only thing I could do well was Math. So we worked well together."

Emmett paused, looking away from Bella. "I loved her from the day I met her," he continued quietly. "She was beautiful and smart, and I thought she was perfect. We finally started dating in our last year of high school, but of course, we went off on our different ways. I got into the family business, and she went to college."

He laughed. "Girls go to college to get more knowledge, right?" Bella smiled. Emmett sighed. "Anyway, I thought that was the last I would ever see of her. But a year later, she appeared again, telling me that she loved me, and she wanted to be with me. A few months after my twenty-second birthday, she…disappeared."

Bella bit her lip. "Do you still love her?"

Emmett looked away. Did he still love her? If she came back right now, would he give up what he had with Bella to get back with Rosalie?

He looked into Bella's eyes. "I still care for her, I think," he answered slowly. "But she changed the way I looked at relationships and women in general."

There was a heavy silence between them, and Emmett fought to say the cliché words that he knew Bella wanted to hear: _Then I met you…_ But for some reason, the words wouldn't leave his mouth. He watched the look in Bella's eyes go from inquisitive to accepting and resigned. He wanted to kick himself. "Thank you for being honest with me," Bella murmured. She was being sincere. Emmett was dissatisfied. He resolved to show her how much she meant to him, how she changed everything for him. But he didn't want to be soft, and he didn't want her to think that he was rushing his feelings. Confessing everything to her would only be a lose-lose situation.

Bella looked at her phone, breaking eye contact. "We'd better get going," she said cheerily as she collected her leftovers. "The show starts soon." Emmett threw out his trash, trying to be discreet about the fact that he had barely taken a bite out of his sandwich. He didn't want to disappoint Bella any more than he already had.

He took her by the waist and led her into the area where the show was being held. From across the room, Garrett stood up and waved. "Bella!" he cried. "Bella, over here!"

Bella perked up and waved back, weaving nimbly through the crowd, and sitting next to Garrett. Emmett fought from rolling his eyes and Garrett nearly fell over himself to greet Bella. They talked and gossiped like they had been friends for years instead of a few hours. Emmett slung his arm over the back of Bella's chair, but she kept her back towards him as she gushed over dancers with Garrett. Emmett wondered idly if telling Bella about Rosalie was the best thing to do. Though she had thanked him for being honest, he felt like she was hurt, and it made him feel awkward.

The lights went down in the house, and the audience fell into a reverent hush. To his surprise, Bella snuggled into him, resting her hand on his broad chest. He smiled unabashedly, glad for the cover of the darkness. He traced patterns into her shoulder as the dancers pranced around on stage. About halfway through the performance, his phone vibrated. Trying to be discreet, he checked his phone. He had a text. It was from Alice.

**'Jasper was shot. In SJT Hospital Rm 305.'**


	12. Pain and Comfort

**Twelfth Chapter! I've been pretty inspired lately...**

**This website seems so dead lately... It feels like I've read all of the quality stories, and my favorite authors aren't active at all anymore!**

**We'll see how long this writing streak lasts. Enjoy it while you can, darlings.**

Disclaimer: _You know the business._

* * *

Emmett's blood ran cold as he read the text again. Jasper had been shot. And it was bad enough that he had been admitted to the hospital. Emmett fought from cursing, not wanting to bring attention to himself. "Emmett?" Bella whispered, trying to see his face through the darkness. "What's wrong?" She sounded tentative as if afraid to pry into his affairs. He debated whether or not to tell her.

"I have to go to the hospital," he finally whispered back. "Jasper was shot."

Bella took a sharp breath.

"I'll be back later," he said, removing his arm from around her chair. She grabbed his shirt. "Wait," she said softly. "I want to go with you."

"Don't you want to watch the show?"

"I want to go with you," she repeated firmly. Emmett paused, then nodded. Bella turned to Garrett and whispered something before grasping Emmett's hand and following him out.

Emmett drove dangerously fast, breaking nearly every rule governing traffic. He was too worried about Jasper to think about Bella's reaction to his driving. Jasper had been shot and it was his fault. If he had only been there with Jasper on the hit, he could've protected his brother. He let Jasper down, and it felt like he was being eaten alive by the guilt.

They made it to the hospital in record time, and for the first time since he had met her, Emmett didn't try to open Bella's door. He stormed into the hospital, and demanded a visitor's pass from the receptionist. Jasper's room was on the 30th floor, and Emmett wished he could fly there. He settled for the elevator.

The ride seemed to be slower than usual, but Emmett didn't notice Bella's concerned expression. He was too worried for his brother's health, and sick to his stomach with guilt.

He finally made it to the room, and entered without a second thought. Jasper was lying in a supine position with an IV stuck in his arm. The wound was wrapped with gauze that had begun to become dark with blood. Emmett couldn't tell if Jasper was sleeping or in a coma. Alice sat by his bedside, holding his hand and weeping quietly. Emmett stared at the scene, frozen. Bella moved immediately to Alice's side, wrapping her arms around her to comfort her. Alice turned and began to sob in Bella's shoulder.

"Alice…" Emmett finally croaked out. "I-I'm so sorry."

Alice took a moment to compose herself, and wiped tears off of her cheeks. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, and her voice was hoarse. "The doctors say he'll need surgery. They said it might not be successful because of the location of the bullet. If he doesn't make it…" she trailed off, choked with sobs.

Emmett had never felt so much pain in his life. Jasper looked so helpless and pale, lying so vulnerably on the bed.

The door opened behind him, and Edward entered. He quickly placed a comforting hand on Emmett's shoulder, and removed it just as quickly.

"I'm so sorry, Alice. This is all my fault," Emmett said quietly, trying to keep the anguish out of his voice. "I should've been there with him, I should've–"

"Don't," Alice said, between sobs. "Don't apologize. Just find who did this to him…" Alice trailed off, and took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her face. She looked deep into Emmett's eyes, and he watched a cold resolve settle over her. "Find who did this to him," she said coldly. "And kill them."

Her words hung in the air, ringing with cold vengeance. Emmett clenched his jaw and nodded. Alice was right. Apologizing wouldn't get them anywhere.

A doctor entered the room, carrying a thick folder. "I presume you're all family," he said, looking over his glasses at the people in the room.

"How is he right now, doctor?" Edward asked, stepping forward and taking charge. The doctor shook his head, and walked over to the monitors attached to Jasper. "Not good," he said blandly. "His heartbeat is a little weak, but I've seen worse. It's good that he's finally able to get some rest, but we've got to operate first thing. Like I told the Mrs," he said, motioning towards Alice. "It might not be successful. But we're going to do our best."

Edward gritted his jaw, visibly upset. "What does 'not successful' mean? Does it mean he'll be paralyzed? Never walk again? Die?"

The doctor was silent as he observed Jasper's sleeping body.

"At this point," he said. "We don't know. The bullet is in an awkward position, and when we remove it, we don't know what damage may be caused. What we do know, though, is that we can't leave the bullet in there."

Edward ran his hands through his hair. Suddenly, he lashed out and slammed his fists into a white board that declared who Jasper's nurse was. "FUCK!"

The room was thrown into an awkward silence. One of the monitors started beeping, and a nurse scurried in and changed Jasper's bandages, and pressed a few buttons before leaving.

The doctor pushed his glasses further up his nose, and looked around the room. "What Jasper needs right now is time. Visiting hours for this ward will be over soon, and we will begin prepping him for surgery. You are all welcome to visit tomorrow after the procedure."

He turned to Alice. "Being his spouse," he said softly. "You can stay the night if you'd like."

Alice nodded without hesitation, and the doctor smiled faintly before turning to the rest of the guests. "Now," he said to the room. "I must ask you all to leave. I know you want to be here for Jasper, but we have to begin prepping him. I'm sorry."

Bella cautiously moved to Emmett's side, waiting for his reaction. He turned and left the room. Bella sighed, and with Edward, followed suit.

"Emmett," Edward said in a tone Emmett had never heard from him before. "I don't want you going out there and doing anything."

"What the fuck are you saying right now?" Emmett tried to keep himself from exploding. "Jasper's in there because I didn't do my job. I didn't go with him on the hit. Now you want me to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs?!"

"Going out there, shooting up everyone will do nothing," Edward retaliated, his voice raising an octave. "Do you know who shot him? How will you find this person? You aren't some super sleuth by day and a hero by night! We're all human, and what happened to Jasper can happen to any of us. We have to be smart about this!"

Emmett clenched his jaw, biting back a snarky response. "I can't just sit home and do nothing!"

Edward took a deep breath. "Look," he said quietly. "What happened to Jasper wasn't your fault. He knew you weren't going with him on the hit, and he took that chance of going out by himself. He's a grown man and he makes his own decisions. You can't blame yourself for that."

Emmett didn't answer.

Edward gave him a hard look. "If I hear about you being on the street, I will shoot you myself," he said calmly. "This will be taken care of. The bastard who shot Jasper will be taken care of. You need to go home and calm down and not be hotheaded."

With those final words, Edward turned and left the ward. Emmett was hit with a strong desire to punch something. Hard.

"Emmett," Bella said softly. "Emmett, look at me."

He refused. He was wracked with guilt and anger, and he didn't want to face her. "Let's go," he bit out, leaving the ward without looking back.

Emmett pulled into his garage, and for the second time that day, he didn't try to open Bella's door. He headed straight upstairs, kicked off his shoes and went straight into the shower. As the hot water pounded against his skin, he let his guilt and anger course through him. Underneath these emotions, however, there was an ebbing pain. Someone he cared for was put in danger because of his careless actions. He should've made sure Jasper didn't go. He should've let Bella see the show without him. He should've done this and he should've done that.

The shower door opened, and Bella's small body entered. She didn't say anything as she reached around him for soap. She lathered up and ran the soap over his body carefully, cleaning every part of him before she paid attention to herself. Then she took his shampoo and began washing his hair, massaging his scalp.

"Bella," he murmured, the anguish plain in his voice. Tears began falling fast and hard as he clung to her and let the water clean them both. "It's my fault," he repeated, again and again as she murmured that it wasn't, and massaged his scalp. He cried for the first time in years, and he cried until he didn't have tears left. He was immediately embarrassed, and glad for the cover of the shower. Bella reached behind them and turned off the shower before reaching for towels. He took the towel from her, and dried himself. "Go ahead," he said as she dried herself. "I'm right behind you."

She looked concerned, but she listened, and went into the bedroom to get dressed.

He took a deep breath when she was gone and tried to compose himself. She may not have noticed his tears while they were showering, but she would definitely notice them when they were in bed. After a few minutes, he felt that he could keep his emotions at bay, and went into the room, pulling on sweatpants as he went.

Bella was tying her wet hair up when she noticed him coming into the bedroom.

"Emmett," she breathed, and suddenly, all of his composure went out of the window. He fought to keep himself from running to her on the bed, but he couldn't reach the bed fast enough. As soon as he was near, he threw himself onto the bed beside her and buried his face in her neck. She was soft and smelled like his soap. "Bella," he murmured again. "I don't know what to do."

It was the first time he had admitted his vulnerability out loud, let alone to a woman since Rosalie.

She massaged his scalp again, sending ripples of pleasure through his body.

She didn't know how to comfort him; men had never run to her when they were vulnerable. So she tried to soothe him the best way she knew how. She kissed his face softly, dancing around his lips before finally settling on them. She opened her mouth to his almost immediately, and he groaned.

A dominant character, he tried to take control, but she pulled away, and nudged him onto his back. She straddled him, and kissed him again, grinding her hips into his as she did. He settling his hands on her waist, but didn't try to guide her rhythm. She smiled against his lips before she pulled away, and kissed a line down his chest. She looked up at his face. His eyes were closed, and there was still a line of worry on his brow. She slowly peeled back his sweatpants until he revealed himself to her. She took a deep breath. She had never done this voluntarily, but there was something about Emmett that made her do things she wouldn't normally do. She reached her tongue out and licked his head daintily, and his eyes flew open. "Bella!" he gasped. She looked up at him, a glint of mischievousness shining in her eyes. He didn't look concerned anymore, he looked shocked. She grinned as she repeated her action before blowing warm air over the head. She gripped his shaft with one hand, and cupped his scrotum in the other before she took him into her mouth. He let out a heavy gasp and clutched the sheets. She took him as far into her mouth as she could, hollowing out her cheeks, and sucking gently. She increased the pressure in alternating rhythms, moving her hand up and down on the part of his shaft that her mouth couldn't hold.

"Bella, _please_!"

He sounded pained, and he grew impossibly harder in her mouth. She released him, and kept moving her hand up and down his shaft. She turned her attention to his scrotum, sucking gently. She heard a sharp intake of breath and a rustling of sheets as he grabbed hold of the bed sheets. She released his scrotum and turned her attentions back to his shaft. She took it into her mouth and hollowed out her cheeks, bobbing her head up and down.

"Bella, I'm gonna…" He trailed off as his thighs tightened and tensed. Bella sucked harder, and he exploded into her mouth. She swallowed, closing her throat around him and milking him to the very last drop. She released him and smiled. He looked spent. "I'm going to go clean up," she said softly. He barely had the strength to nod.

She reappeared moments later and climbed back into bed with him. "Bella that was…mind-blowing." She smiled and blushed, and he pulled her closer to him, kissing her. His hands began to wander, but she stopped him. He was confused.

"Don't, Emmett," she said softly, kissing his lips between words. "I did that for you because I wanted to."

He stared at her, partially in awe and admiration and partially in love.

_Love_.

He mulled over the word in his mind. It was fitting. He loved her. He loved Isabella Swan.

She smiled at his expression and kissed him again, welcoming him into the warm cavern of her mouth. "We should sleep now," she whispered between kisses. "We have to visit your parents tomorrow."

Emmett sighed. She was right. He left the warmth of the bed to turn off the light, and couldn't wait to be back in bed. Be back next to Bella.

He climbed back into bed next to her and drew her close.

He felt warm and comfortable and sated and…happy. Or as happy as he could feel considering the day's events. Bella had managed to make him feel infinitely better. Jasper was right. He was definitely whipped.


End file.
